Approximately seventy percent of Americans, present day, are living paycheck to paycheck. Why you may ask? Many of the families have jobs with incomes to surpass the amount to not live paycheck to paycheck, but they are paying off past credit issues they got themselves into. Credit debt is a real problem among Americans today, due to instant gratification and not having the patience to save for their purchases, while measures could be taken to stay away from or prevent it. (Ramsey, D.)
Problem
Credit debt is defined as results when a client of a credit card company purchases an item or service through the card system. The credit system was designed as a way to bring people out of bad conditions of living. Student loans for college and leasing a car are two really big credit loans. This affected every person who owns a credit card and struggles to pay it back. (Wolff-Mann, F.)
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It originated back with the pilgrims when they lent credit in the earliest of market places here in the U.S. The pilgrims that ventured to the new land had little money and were mainly hunters and gatherers. They needed some way to get food from the marketplace when times were tough. (Wolff-Mann, F.) The seriousness of credit can get as bad as getting your needs taken away, such as your house or car or even bank account swiped, depending on how much you owe and what you owe on. The negative effects can be depression and bankruptcy. Thirty-five percent of all relationships to end in divorce are because of money related issues (mostly debt). You can lose your house, car, and even get your bank account swiped by the people you owe money to if it is really serious. (Holland,
Today many people blame their credit card debt on the economy. With their being so little employment with very little income; we are forced to live under our means. Credit is usually misused and accumulates large amounts of debt. Many people use credit cards for daily expenses or to buy their wants rather their needs. Often times, credit cards are used to pay rent, utilities and other daily expenses due to people living off of paycheck to paycheck and do not make enough money to pay their monthly bills to buy necessities. Some people may use credit cards to keep up their material social statuses amongst their peers. Other people have some sort of social influences; however, these people do not need to rely on credit to live, it is just to impress friends. Credit card companies reel college students with applications in the mail daily and advertisements are causing them financial burdens.
Avoiding debt is a popular concept among younger population, and it is a very reasonable personal decision. However, most of us will need a credit at some point in life – to get a mortgage, for instance.
According to CareerBuilder.com, a whopping 61% of American households lived paycheck to paycheck in 2009. That number is huge, especially since only 49% lived that way in 2008, and only 41% in 2007. Whether it is due to losing one or both household incomes or simply a reduction in the household incomes, the statistic is staggering. With families not able to adequately save for any unexpected expense that may arise, they are finding that more often than not there is more month than money. So what happens when the rent/mortgage payment is due, groceries need to be purchased, and then the car breaks down? For some, a small personal loan at a local bank is all it takes to get back on track. For many though, this isn’t an option, and they
Debt, the financial fall in which you intend to save yourself from. Navigating a way forward without falling into any pitfalls, is worth trying. The world of credit is a maze, waiting to be solved. Only a few has passed and many have failed. Debt is a “liability or obligation to pay or render something”(dictionary). In order to figure out this credit maze, we must first have an understanding of what credit is. The only way to get into this debt is from not being aware of credit. Credit is “the ability of a customer to obtain goods or services before payment, based on the trust that payment will be made in the future”(dictionary). This credit maze has many different situations that you may encounter with such as student loans. This student debt
This study examines the "Debt Poor" defined by Pressman and Scott (2009) as individuals and families who have more consumer debts than those categorized as poor, but also do not qualify for government subsidies, such as Medicaid. The scholars argued that interest payments on consumer debt should be subtracted from household income to measure poverty, yet an estimated additional 4 million Americans from 2007, likely middle class once having access to considerable consumer credit following a loss of income put their living standard below the poverty threshold. In contrast, extensive evidence determines that the debt poor are slightly similar to the poor (they are unlikely to own a home or hold private health insurance), somewhat like middle-class
A major change that has transpired in America is the growth in consumer debts. Consumer debts have grown exponentially over the last decades due to the elimination of price controls that were once used by lenders to extend credit to consumers. “The elimination of those price controls changed the nature of consumer lending and consumer borrowing by providing an extraordinary profit opportunity to financial institutions and enhanced purchasing power to borrowers” (Lander 202). Whereas in the past, borrowing was done as a strategy for survival and used as a method for financial advancement, in recent times buying on credit and acquiring debts aimed at purchasing products for indulgence have become customary. Some feel that a consequence of this change has caused a substantial increase in consumer debts. On the other hand, others feel quite differently and believe that consumer debts are growing because of the inflation associated with the cost of necessities and the decrease in individual and family incomes. Per Christian E. Weller, a senior fellow at the Center for American Progress, “Data suggests that the run-up of debt is more of a consequence of economic necessities than of profligate spending” (583). Why are Americans going into debt more today than they did yesteryear? Despite the harm debts are causing the American society, Americans are going deeper into debts because of high interest rate loans and credit
This paper looks the current financial state a majority of American households face today. The research explains the most common reasons why American’s have such a difficult time spending and saving their earned money wisely. It seems more often than not, working Americans are heard of as living paycheck to paycheck and are not, in any way, financially prepared for an emergency, such as a sudden illness in the family or an unexpected household repair. This paper attempts to find the reasons Americans have poor spending and savings habits, and why there are very few who are debt-free, as well as steps to take
Being in debt is very stressful, it is like having overdue homework. You have so much to pay off and it eventually gets all piled up and you do not have enough money to pay it off.
In order to build credit, acquiring manageable debt is a positive solution. Now it sounds ridiculous, however there is beneficial and harmful debt. Beneficial debt is the kind of debt that can be paid off with
Americans are carrying over $900 billion in credit card debt according to the Federal Reserve. With approximately 56% of the people carrying credit card debt admitting to having past due balances over the prior 12 month period, it's safe to assume that creditors have been busy working with borrowers to collect money. If you are part of this group of borrowers, you might be feeling the stress and strain that comes from dealing with debt issues.
Paying your financial obligations is quite difficult, especially when you have accumulated more than what you can afford to pay off. Having the discipline and the drive to be capable of paying off your debts is very important. The following are a few tips that you will have to take note of if you want to pay off credit card debt.
Having too much debt seems to be a problem that a lot of people today are facing. Debt can be crippling because, the deeper you get into it, the harder it is to get out. The problem is compounded by the fact that having a lot of debt, especially unsecured debt like credit card debt, is more expensive if you have a bad credit score.
Credit card debt is a reality for many in today’s world. Suppose that you had a $5,270.00 balance on a credit card with an annual percentage rate (APR) of 15.53 percent. Consider the following questions and prepare a report based upon your conclusions.
When one comes across the word "debt," it's generally met with negative connotations. However, debt isn't always bad and could even hold opportunities that businesses have been harnessing for a long time. Having good debt offers returns instead of deficit and it is mostly the planning and execution that really makes it work out. USA TODAY explains what good debt is and how to benefit from it.
Studies have shown that the overwhelming majority of Americans lacks proper skills to manage their finances. And the distribution of those Americans skews heavily to the lower income population. According to a St. Louis Federal Reserve research, US household debt to GDP in 2014 was as high as 79%. And household debt as a percentage of disposable income looks even bleaker, with the 2013 number being over 102%. This means, in 2013, an average American borrowed over 102 dollars for every 100 dollars he or she made. Further exacerbating the situation is the rapidly growing income inequality that created a long-term systematic threat to social stability.