Credit Card Debt Should Not Be New For American Consumers Essay

There is a widespread concern about rising levels of debt. Debt can become disastrous for those who live alone or those families who are already having problems with supporting their family. The people who might be struck by debt, they might have trouble recovering. Debt can cause Americans to lose their homes and stability they need to feed, and shelter their families. Although debt comes upon us Americans quickly, people can see debt as terrible thing to be stuck with. It has many disadvantages that can devastate to people.

Credit cards have become increasingly popular world-wide, making it easier to buy now and pay later but are they actually helping or hindering someone’s credit? “Maxed Out” by James D. Scurlock demonstrates how credit cards can hurt someone’s credit, while “Why Won’t Anyone give Me a Credit Card” by Kevin O’Donnell demonstrates how someone may have financial stability to pay off a credit card, but still be consistently denied one by the credit card companies. Owning credit cards is not the problem; the problem is being irresponsible with it.

The explosion of credit card use among college students has woven itself into the fabric of campus life ultimately impacting how students interact and begin in the financial industry. As students gain more freedom away from home they often begin to experience various social changes. One area in particular that is cause for concern is the number of students incurring credit card debt. Due to growth in credit card usage and the rise of debt, the ideas discussed in this paper represent the growing need to evaluate credit card company solicitation efforts aimed at students and how to begin negotiation to amend these practices. Through mediation, the focus will be to investigate if college students receive ample education on credit and

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 purpose of usury laws was to regulate the maximum interest rates of loans. This law was created to protect borrowers from excessively high interest rates. It insured that lenders could not put the borrower in a situation where they were not able to fully pay off their debt. However, as said on investopedia.com, “In the United States, individual states are responsible for setting their own usury laws.”

Credit card debt is one of this nation’s leading internal problems, and it has been for around the last 3-4 decades. When credit was first introduced, and up until around the late 1970’s up to today, the standards for getting a credit card were very high; so not everybody could get one. 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

“In a nutshell, the system is geared to keep you in debt” Kevin Trudeau writes in his book “Debt Cures” At the time of publishing his book (2007) The average American consumer had more than $8,000 in credit card debt. Today the average American household owes double the amount at $16,000 in credit card debt. As NerdWallet puts it “Debt is American as apple pie.” Being the 4th highest type of debt in America at $750 billion, just below mortgage, auto debt and student loan debt. Credit card debt is one typical type of debt Americans have to deal with because of the “aggressive practices by the entire lending industry” Trudeau says. Kevin

Anna states in the article, “By 2010 Americans will be a trillion dollars in the hole on credit-card debt alone.” According to Nerdwallet.Inc the current credit card debt owed by US consumers is $712 billion in 2015. This doesn’t include any other debt, such as student loans or house loans. If the consumption of unneeded products were reduced by even a small percentage, than that small percentage

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?

In the 1800’s I believe it was nearly impossible for people to spend more than they financial could because loans were not as easily accessible. In this modern age a common form of a loan that allows almost anyone to spend beyond their financial capabilities is a credit card. Credit cards are pieces of plastic that allow you to buy products and services with the money of the credit card company. However, this money isn’t given to you for free. All the money you spend must be paid back to the credit card company at the end of each month. This is where a potential problem could be created. If people spend more money than they can pay back they acquire debt. The acquired debt then accrues interest when you don’t pay what you owe. This causes the debtor to generate more debt every time a payment is unpaid.

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

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

Credit card companies prey on naïve students to maximize their own profit. According to the documentary Maxed Out (2006), credit card companies prey on uneducated adults who more than likely not pay their bill on time. This guarantees them max profit whether it is paid by consumer or companies that buy debt.