Do something now about credit card debt
With credit card debt inching back up again, many Americans could soon be in over their heads.
Since the peak of the recession, consumers have been cutting back credit card use, but in September, the numbers started to rise, according to figures from the Federal Reserve.
The Fed’s latest report — for October — shows revolving debt went up 0.6 percent, rising $300 million nationwide to $792.3 billion according to CreditCards.com. That works out to an average of more than $6,500 per card, the Washington Business Journal reports.
Experts offer a number of theories for the increase — everything from being unable to maintain financial discipline to being unable to put off certain purchases any longer.
Whatever the case, with holiday shopping wrapping up, the figures for November and December are likely to go higher still.
"There's a psychological pent-up need to shop," explains finance professor Tony Plath of the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. “Essentially, it's a little shot of nostalgia for the good old days."
But that could mean trouble down the road, Plath warns.
"Come March and April, this nostalgia will see a wake-up call from a sick economy," he says.
The good news: There are ways out from under your credit card debt. You have to start somewhere, though — contact us for some options.
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Top Articles to Help You Lead A Debt-Free Life
- Debt Consolidation: “Debt Consolidation” is one of the most commonly misunderstood and misinterpreted personal finance strategies that consumers inquire about all the time. While some view it as a method of taking on new loans, others see it as a debt relief alternative. It is more important than ever for inquisitive consumers to have a very strong understanding of exactly what debt consolidation entails, and the impacts it can have on personal finances.
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- Credit Management: Many consumers are finding themselves buried under a pile of mounting debt. With interest accumulating month after month in addition to late fees being charged, many consumers are finding it difficult to make just the minimum payments on their credit cards. Although this may seem like an endless battle, with a strict budget and some discipline there are credit management strategies and solutions that will allow consumers to reduce or even eliminate their debt.
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