The Descent into Credit Card Debt

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When used wisely, credit cards can be the cornerstone of a sound financial strategy. A solid credit history makes you a good credit risk and that in turn allows you to purchase the necessities of life. But credit cards can also be a slippery slope. One misstep and you’ll tumble into the abyss of credit card debt hell, a mounting spiral of missed payments, fees, high APRs, and rate increases that will take years to recover from. Only by remaining vigilant can you hope to avoid this fate. Here’s our guide to what you may experience on the way down.
Here’s Mint’s credit card guide to help you lift yourself out of the abyss.
Don’t let credit card debt consume you. Mint.com can help you find a card that works for you.
For more personal finance visualizations see: WallStats.com
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credit card charges 349 days ago
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Gail Cavanaugh 340 days ago
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els ct 310 days ago
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Credit Card Debt Girl 283 days ago
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TheMechanic 219 days ago
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Inspiration By Experience 194 days ago
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Smarter Finances 138 days ago
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« Previous 1 2It’s essential to stay on top of your finances, otherwise it is a spiral of debt due to the high interest rates these credit card providers charge.
If more people, including students larn how interest accrues on credit card debt, they would probably not skip payments or charge so many purchases.
Credit card debts are like cancer. Cure is slow and painful. You undergo “chemo”, at the expense of losing sleep and hair.
Wait a minute – there is hope!!!
1st – discuss with your bankers/credit card issuer
2nd – suggest a longer repayment programme or convert into a term loan
3rd – request for a flexible repayment scheme based on your cashflow/income
4th – restrain from using anymore cards i.e pay cash for everything, otherwise, don’t spend when you don’t have the money.
Interesting post. Most days I feel like I’ll never catch up with my huge credit card debt. It’s like the never-ending nightmare. Interest rate is ridiculous.
If people would just come to the relization that a initial 100-300. loan is basicly spent on things like junk food,gas,cigs,perscriptions,etc,etc,basically all the junk we never needed in the first place! Or we could have just saved that same money for a week or month thereby never getting on HELLS conveyer and creating this constant cycle that just benifits the rich bankers and elite.If they only knew how there own souls were at stake too!!!What gets me also is how they send out a 100. debit card for kids in there teens sucking them in under there vial stucture of simply loaning our own energy back to us hoping it entices us to start the downward spiral and these kids have no understanding of the dangers of this viscous cycle at that age which is very unjust and unethical in its self.If there was no DILLUTING credit system food would be cheaper or even free like it should be,houses would average 10,000 and would be easier to save and pay off entirly by SAVING (BEING THE KEYWORD) for and own from that point on,cars would be 1,000,etc.ITS A DILLUTING CODE PEOPLE and no one wins in the end IT ALWAYS LEAVES SOMEONE OUT.And heres a key point think about it like this can the mc donalds worker,walmart worker,immigrant worker or anyone making less than the 18,000 (aprox if im correct) or more minimum that is required to even purchase a car per say without any type of cosigner and working for years or even his entire life at that job quilify for the loan??? NO he can never make more then the minimum that is required to quilify NEVERRRRR,so by that simply principal SOMEONE IS ALWAYS LEFT BEHIND thereby creating a DILLUTING SYSTEM OR [CODE] being the key word,so no matter how hard you work or how good your credit is CREDIT ALWAYS WALKS ON THE BACKS OF OTHERS. BELIEVE IN GODS CODE PEOPLE IT IS THE MOST PERFECT AND BENEFICIAL TO ALL TRULY FAIR AND BALANCED NEVER LEAVING ANYONE OUT! jmo mechanic
The important part is to make our finance in the top priority. I agree with this statement : “It’s essential to stay on top of your finances, otherwise it is a spiral of debt due to the high interest rates these credit card providers charge.”
Predatory debt consolidators are like the fraudulent mortgage industry of the late 00′s. Thank god congress is looking into legislation to regulate these organizations.
This is a great graphic. But anyways I just wish people would realize that credit card companies do not just give you money to be nice. It is how they make a living. Unfortunately, people are finding this out the hard way.
I’ve always been afraid of availing credit cards nowadays,in which I am very pacticular on budgeting. I’m afraid to be drown with debt with having credit cards.