Credit Card Debt
In the world of credit cards, credit debt is all too common. Debt from credit cards can be very stressful, and lead to a very crippling situation. No one is immune to credit card debt, as even students can experience debt with their credit cards as well. With people using their credit cards more these days, more and more people continue to take the plunge into debt. Debt is never good, as it leads to bankruptcy and the destruction of your credit report.
Even though getting in credit card debt is simple to do, getting out of it is something that takes a lot of work. Even if you go to an agency or company that specializes in helping people out of debt, it won't happen overnight. To get out of debt, it will take you quite a bit of time and effort as you get the debt under control and begin the long process of rebuilding your credit.
To properly defend yourself from credit card debt, you"ll need to know quite a bit about credit, managing your money, and finances in general. Normally, you can stay out of debt by creating an ideal budget and saving money whenever you can. If you stick to this plan and avoid steering away from it, you"ll normally have no problems staying out of debt.
If you have other credit cards that you don't use, such as store credit cards that are known for high interest rates, you should dispose of them. If you have a lot of open accounts, you should look into debt consolidation, which will combine all of your debts into one payment so you can get them out of the way quicker. By using debt consolidation services, you will only have one bill to pay.
When you receive your credit card bill, you should always strive to pay more than just the minimum. If you only pay the minimum amount, you could very well end up being in debt the rest of your life - as you could be paying nothing but the interest. Every month, you should strive to pay the minimum amount and then some. Paying more than the minimum amount will also help to pay offer your credit card bill faster as well.
No matter how much credit card debt you are in, you can always find debt management services and agencies that will help you fight back. Credit card debt is very common these days, something many of us have experienced. Although there are ways out of credit card debt, the best way to get out of it is to avoid it all together. If you pay your bills on time and never miss a payment - you"ll always live a debt free lifestyle.
Dirty Little Secret
America is, quite simply, a nation in debt. The national debt increases by more than an estimated $2 billion each day. So, with gas prices and foreclosure rates hitting all-time highs, and unstable markets threatening to drain retirement funds, millions of Americans have turned to plastic. But, with credit card lifestyles come credit card payments. ABC News correspondent Vicki Mabrey takes a look at some disturbing stories from employees at a major credit card company, who say they were trained to sell customers into maximizing their credit lines and going deeper into debt, even if it was unlikely they could afford to repay it. It's an exclusive story you need to see.
Ref. ABC Nightline
Most of our Nations here in this Hemisphere have something in common. We have come from indentured servant or slave stock. That is all this credit thing is. A trap to become indentured servants once again. It is all a trap to bring us to our knees and kiss the Royal crown's feet.
I am disgusted with the whole situation. Including myself.
It always amazes me how cavalier some people are with credit. We have credit cards but pay them off every month. We use them for gas (to pay at the pump) and when we travel.
I know some people who pay for everything on their airline credit cards to get the mileage. This is okay as long as you pay the balance off each month. Otherwise the interest you pay would probably buy you an airline ticket.
When I used to sell Real Estate I remember meeting with a couple who wanted to buy a home to pre-qualify them. When discussing their debt ratio they produced a shoe box full of credit cards. All of them were active, many were maxed out. They would transfer the balances from one card to another on a regular basis. They had no clue how to manage their finances and no way could the purchase a home. We sent them immediately to Consumer Credit Counseling.
People do not realize that credit is not cash on hand. Just because you have available credit it does not mean you have that much cash to spend. Using a credit card is borrowing, and usually at a fairly high interest rate. If they only make the minimum payment due each month, as most people do, they will NEVER pay off the balance and the interest paid is astronomical.
A better practice is to make that payment into a savings account and when you have saved enough for your purchase - pay cash. The best things in life really are worth waiting for.
International Level: Activist / Political Participation: 32 3.2%
The Next Financial Mess?
You hear about the mortgage meltdown all the time, but as more and more Americans become saddled with huge credit card debt they cannot pay, the next crisis point may come in plastic. Last night, we brought you exclusive interviews with former credit card company employees trained to lead customers to take on more debt -- even if they couldn't handle it. Tonight, ABC News correspondent Vicki Mabrey takes a close look at what consumers need to do to protect themselves from a credit card crisis.
Ref. ABC Nightline
I think that it is all down hill from here. At the risk of being annoying I would like for everyone to think about getting some storable food. It is about to start going way up in price. If you don't have a gun then you may want to consider purchasing one. Get a 22 if that is all you can afford. 13$ for 500 rnds is kind of hard to beet.