Cash Versus Credit Cards Essay examples

James D Scurlock’s “Maxed Out” focused on the revolving use of credit cards to charge now and pay later and the fact that once the credit card was maxed out another one was sent from the credit card companies and the whole process begins all over again. Scurlock’s essay made the reader aware of the downfalls and hardships that can occur when credit cards are constantly used for purchases compared to Kevin O’Donnell’s “Why Won’t Anyone give Me a Credit Card”.

There are both pros and cons to spending with credit. A consumer must be responsible for their spending and plan ahead for the future. Many people are quickly swept with debt a short period after receiving a credit card. Other consumers are wise enough to control their spending and limit their purchases.

Credit cards can ruin any financial situation if used improperly. Let’s look at what our two financial authorities think about them. Dave Ramsey is completely against the idea of using credit cards. Being a devout Christian, he often finds his ways of financial teaching through The Bible. Proverbs 22:7 states “The rich rule over the poor, and the borrower is slave to the lender.” You are charged a premium for using a credit card in the form of interest. While you can pay off credit before the interest is charged, Dave insists that many people do not pay if off in time. It is better to get rid of the enticement altogether than to play with the idea of using a

The United States lending industry’s main focus has become accentuating profits; therefore, they have made it impossible to live without a credit card in today’s economy and to avoid being taken advantage of by the banks. James Scurlock, director and producer of the film, “Maxed Out”, devotes his movie to informing the audience of the credit card system and its many flaws and gives examples of people who are majorly affected by the pressure the lenders apply. Throughout the movie, numerous statistics, and expert testimonies are presented, as well as comparisons and appeals to emotion. Through the use of this support Scurlock, is able to convey his overall message and propose numerous minor arguments that clarify

The main argument throughout this documentary is that credit cards are the main cause of the debt crisis, which occurred in 2006 in America. Credit cards are portrayed throughout this documentary to carry negative consequences, aiding in the corruption of the system, and ultimately creating debt problems that America faces as a nation. The main question we are left with is, can we as a nation live without credit cards?

Evaluation: This article, posted on April 1, 2016, was originally published on TheConversation.com. Throughout the article, the author cites sources that come from 2012-2017, with the majority of them coming from 2015-2016. Moreover, these cited websites are credible, well-known, and have information that can be corroborated with other sources. Some of these sites included The Wall Street Journal, the New York Times, and a report from the Federal Reserve. Moving on, the author, Mechele Dickerson, is an expert on this topic. Dickerson received both her B.A. and J.D. from Harvard University and currently works as a professor of law at the University of Texas at Austin. Here, she teaches classes on consumer law, debt and spending to law and undergraduate students. In her current research, she explores causes and consequences of consumer debt and how the culture

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, in 2010 Americans had $866 billion in credit card debt and its still growing. Huge credit card debt is a huge problem for America and putting credit cards into the hands of kids will only cause more difficulty. Also, there are severe consequences for using credit irresponsibly. In fact, kids do not understand finances and credit enough to use credit cards responsibly. For example, kids who use credit cards won't understand the value of money. Therefore, kids under 18 should not be given access to credit cards.

On a periodic basis, the Federal reserve releases key statistics related to credit card debt in America. With almost 2,000,000,000 credit cards in use while in the hands of almost 200,000,000 individual credit card holders, there is no denying the popularity of these little pieces of plastic. Through May of 2015, Americans were responsible for $901 billion in credit

In response to the 2007-2008 financial crisis, the United States government was charged with reforming many financial systems. One area of concern was credit cards. Namely, many Americans faced financial troubles with credit debt and other credit card related issues. In 2009, Congress passed the Credit Card Accountability Responsibility and Disclosure Act of 2009 (Credit CARD Act). The goal of the Credit CARD Act was to protect consumers from dubious credit card issuers. The legislation enacted intends to make the credit card system more transparent and supervised in addition to certain consumer protections. The Credit CARD Act was a major shift in the way credit card issuers were allowed to operate, and most—if not all—credit card issuing

First, we must blame ourselves for letting this debt build up. It’s so easy to just say “charge it” and deal with the money later. It’s so much more convenient to use a credit card then using our cash. In the April 2005 issue of University Wire, Dr. James Roberts conducted a study about the spending habits of students around the country. He found that students who used credit cards to pay for their books weren’t able to tell within $30, $40, or even $50 dollars of how much they spent compared to the students who used cash and were able to tell within a few dollars how much they

Money is a necessity in life and is a constant worry for college students especially when you take out a $10,000 loan. Financial aid has replaced studying as the biggest worry for college students. The objective of college is to learn and grow as a person, but is limited by financial capabilities which is a big problem for the U.S. education system and prices continue to go up. Main focus is having to focus on rigorous studying, students may also have to work to stay in school. A student is paying college through a $10,000 loan and working a part time job 20 hours a week. John wonders if getting a credit card will help him financially. The best solution is to attain a credit card that has student benefits included and will make it easier to protect and keep track of your money.

Whilst a critical part of consumer spending, credit card companies are constantly accused of malicious legal contracts and schemes to increase profits. Without heavy regulation, these companies have the power to bankrupt millions of Americans that rely on credit cards in their daily lives. However, after the introduction of The Credit Card Act of 2009, these accusations represent an inability to accept responsibility for financial blunders on the consumer’s behalf. Due largely in part to the government’s strict regulations, credit card companies should not be at fault for the student credit card debt crisis. Credit card companies remain blameless for student credit card debt as a result of

“The average American owns 3.5 credit cards and $15,799 in credit card debt… totaling consumer debt of $2.43 trillion in the USA alone.” (Beckner). Debt forces many people into depression and worrying lives. People struggle to discover happiness through financing goods, but struggle even more to find a way out of debt. Through consumerism, people lose their finances in department stores, car dealerships, and much more. Most of the possessions people buy with credit cards become impractical within a few months. The void they search for is never really filled. Consumerism is just a way to get the economy going, without thinking of a person’s individual finance

In today’s economy, cash or a credit card is needed to meet the basic human needs. It is an apparent fact that we need cash or credit cards to purchase items such as food, clothing, and to buy gas. Also, when you are out shopping and discover that you have used all the cash in your possession, it is then that you realize that the advantage of having a credit card. Furthermore, with cash, you are restricted to the amount in your wallet or purse; however, a credit card allows you to pay for your purchase at a later date. Both cash and credit cards can be useful when you manage them wisely. While cash and credit cards are similar in that they both are readily accessible, used for goods and services at the time of purchase, they are dissimilar because of theft, high- interest rates, identity theft.

Students do not have the education needed to use credit cards responsibly. Nellie Mae (August 2007) states