The use of credit cards is much more dangerous than use of checks or cash. Paying with cash is very easy; for knowing how much money is available and how much can be spent makes it very hard to get into debt. When paying with a check the process is a bit trickier; the exact balance has to be kept on the account at all time. Knowing what this balance is and continuously replenishing it can be quite hard. Nevertheless, even with a check consumers can not get into a lot of trouble. If more money is spent then the shopper has on the current account, the last written check will be rejected and account will be suspended until the balance is paid off. With credit cards however, every year more and more people get into debt. According to American Bankers Association (ABA), Americans owe more then $387 billion on their credit cards. This frightening number, averaging about $3,900 per family, is just as bad for the economy as it is for the consumers. In September of 1995, for example, The AT&T Universal card charged $15 per month for late fee to people who paid their bills just one day after the due date. Visa, on the other hand, was charging the penalty feesfor as little as a dollar over the limit, plus an interest of up to 24.9 percent per year. In the second quarter of 1995, overdue payments as a percentage of outstanding balance hit 3.267 percent. That is the highest mark since recession of 1991. "The picture is, some consumers are very, very deeply in debt," says Charles McMillion, chief economist with MBG Information Services. A swipe of the card has become so natural that many consumers do not realize how much they have charged, nor that it will take them forever to pay that debt off. Seventy percent of respondents to a recent ABA survey said that it would take them at least two months to pay off their holiday expenses. Unfortunately, there are more ways to use a credit card than ever before, making it very hard for consumers to refrain from spending a lot of money. Shopper can charge groceries, teeth cleanings, and on-line services to their credit cards. Introduction of rebate cards – which offer users credit towards new vehicles, frequent-flyer miles,
Credit cards: for some they are the paths to financial freedom, for others they are a necessity for daily purchases. During the recent economic crisis, many have sought out to find the cause. One common suspect is the credit card industry, which is comprised of more than six thousand card issuers (Clayton 209). This issue is debated in the two-part article “Should Congress Regulate Credit Card Rates and Fees?” “Yes” and “No.” Tamara Draut, Director of Economic Opportunity, Demos, argues yes, claiming the credit card companies’ ability to adjust terms and interest rates traps cardholders in everlasting debt. On the contrary, Kenneth J. Clayton, Managing Director of Card Policy for the American Bankers Association, argues no, stating that regulating credit card companies would hinder many people from obtaining credit and further damage the economy. Although both Draut and Clayton present strong evidence for some aspects of their arguments, both writers make assumptions which they fail to support and ignore the complexity of the issue, making their arguments overall unpersuasive.
Credit card debt is one of this nation’s leading internal problems. When credit was first introduced, and up until around the late 1970’s, the standards for getting a credit card were very high. The bar got lowered and lowered to where, eventually, an 18 year-old college student with almost no income and nothing to base a credit score on previously could obtain a credit card (much like myself). The national credit card debt for families residing in the United States alone is in the trillions (Maxed Out). The average American family has around $9,000 in debt, and pays around $1,3000 a year on interest payments (Maxed Out). Many people have the concern today that these interest rates and fees are skyrocketing; and many do not understand why. Most of these people have to try to avoid harassing collecting agents from different agencies, which takes an emotional and psychological toll on them. While a lot of the newly recognized “risky” people (those with a doubted ability to make sufficient payments) are actually older people who have been customers of certain companies for decades, the credit card companies are actually consciously targeting a different, much more vulnerable group of people: college students. James Scurlock produced a documentary called Maxed Out on this growing problem, in which Senator Jack Reed of (Democrat) of Rhode Island emphasizes the targeting of college students in the Consumer Credit Hearings of 2005
There is also a side of credit card debt that is positive; this is what helps you build your credit, so you are able to buy item of a high value. That takes the majority of citizen a long period of time to pay off, such as a car or home. Today’s debt rate is at a staggering high, our nation is recovering from our current financial situation. Ed hall reported the (“U.S. NATIONAL DEBT CLOCK”) it is estimated to be $13,255,286,814,716.47 and the amount is increasing daily according to the (“U.S. Department of the Treasury”). The U.S population is estimated at 308,775,484 by the (“Bureau of the Census”). If you were to distribute the nation’s debt equally throughout every American, each citizen would be $42,928.56 estimated in debt.
The American peoples debt is almost entirely the faults of all those who participate in the active use of the credit cards solicited to them. This is due to several factors, the first of which is the ability of classes below the Upper-Middle and Upper classes being able to acquire credit cards easily and readily. The second reason is that the interest rates of these credit cards, set by the companies that advertise and produce them, has been and, in the foreseeable future, will be extremely high. Finally, the credit card debt is such a problem today because the market for credit card companies is so concentrated that isn't regulated enough to make any difference.
Currently there are 1.2 billion active credit cards used in the United States. A typical purchase on a credit card cost more than 112% then a purchase paid for by cash. Americans are not only purchasing items on their credit cards as they go on shopping sprees. They are now paying their rent, tuition, utilities, car payments, and anything else they can think of. 9 in 10 credit cards users say that their credit card debt is nothing they worry about, but 47% of these people refused to tell a friend exactly how much they owe. (Paul Bannister, bankrate.com).
In the Spring of 1949, Alfred Bloomingdale, Frank McNamara, and Ralph Snyder came up with a new plan for a modern type of credit card. While out to lunch one day in New York, the President of the New York Credit Card Company Frank McNamara had forgotten his wallet at home (Evans 53) . He had a thriving business yet credit cards at the time were only given to selected people. The first modern credit cards was introduced by Diners Club Inc. because of this. The modern day credit card is a small, plastic, rectangle, more than three inches. There is an account number and a name that is embroidered on the front. The first credit card did not look much like what credit cards look today. They were made out of paper not plastic, and they weren’t cards they were a lot like a tiny booklet that had all the same information the modern day credit card has now(Weiss 38). The modern day credit card can carry up to a $200 line of credit meaning you can buy anything you want at that certain time and pay it back at a later date such as months or a year after that time. Some companies require you to pay the full amount of your charge on the card at once, but some allow you to pay in small amounts. In order to apply for a credit card you must be at least eighteen years of age and if you are not you must have an adult sign the paperwork to apply for one. Prior ...
19 percent of students have charged their tuition and fees, but one-third of those with balances of over $1,000 have charged tuition. If the balance is not paid in full, this is, in essence, an 18 percent loan. Charging tuition, then, may be part of an escalating pattern for some students in financial trouble (Norvili...
When choosing to shop online or at a brick and mortar store, start by weighing the pros and cons of each established method of shopping. When shopping online a consumer is are able to browse multiple stores while sitting in their pajamas, no driving from store to store, and there is no need to deal with overcrowded stores. Time is not an issue, browsing online for a pair of shoes might start at three in the morning or five at night. Online shopping brings the global market place directly to a shopper’s front door. Under normal circumstances, the common person would not be able to browse and purchase from stores far away like China.
The debt will never get cleared up if charges keep appearing on the bill, and even when purchases stop the debt is normally so extensive it takes months if not years to pay off and it can completely plummet a credit score. Also, “College students who are unprepared for financial decision making may make risky decisions such as compulsive spending and debt accumulation. Financial stress impacts both academic achievement and retention.”Stores will try and get many to sign up for their cards and they do this by offering deals. The more cards owned, the more available to spend, which will lead right back into debt. However, a good idea to stay ahead is to pay as much off as much as possible each month. It does not have to be paid in full, but try to at least pay more than the minimum. Debt is all over the world, it 's not just with college students, but with older people as well but college students need to know what debt is good debt and when their limit is before they are drowning in
increasingly dominating the purchases of many American consumers. The concept of the credit card dates back to the late 1800's, while the modern credit card took form in 1966. Since then credit card use has exploded (Woolsey par.1-2). Today, over half of the United States' population owns at least two credit cards. The United States should become a cashless society because the government would ultimately save money, there is more convenience for consumers, and money related crimes would decrease dramatically.
I. Introduction: A. Attention Getter: How many of you have credit card debt? An average
You have a choice of paying by cash, debit card, online account or credit card. If you do not have money in your bank or online accounts, then either you go without, or you use your credit card. But, what about the people who have money in their bank account and still use their credit card.
Credit cards are definitely a problem in America, especially since there are so many. People will always be able to find themselves in debt if they keep spending more than they can afford. It is such a big problem because people need credit history in America, and in order to have it we need to use our credit cards. Credit card debt will always be a problem because of high expenses in America. Everything is so expensive. Expenses are rising and will continue to rise in
The use of credit and debit cards today are taking a tour in the sense that electronic cash is becoming more admissible as the world makes a switch towar...
“Americans owe $850.9 billion in credit card debt per household in 2013” (). Debt is among one of the most prominent reasons that using cash is wiser than using credit. Many people will spend money on their credit cards thinking that they will pay it off at the end of the month, but, in reality, that rarely happens. The credit card companies trick their customers into believing they will get rewards, but the interest that has to be paid on credit spending completely overruns the rewards that are promised. “The average family owes $8,000 dollars in ...