Some Startling Statistics about American Consumers

America is often called a consumer society, and it's true. We're also a state of credit card debt, which is evidenced by some of these startling facts.

We all cognize that acquiring overpowering debt is nerve-racking from a financial standpoint. However, it might surprise you to cognize that more than than 70 percent of divorcements in America are brought about owed to financial problems.

One thing Americans are NOT is savers. We simply don't set away adequate money to protect us in the lawsuit of financial emergency. In fact, the average American consumer carries so much debt loading that they're a mere three paychecks away from having to declare bankruptcy.

Financial emergencies originate all the time, of course, but Americans go on to construct up credit card debt, without idea of the possible consequences. That's why nearly 1,500,000 people in the United States are forced to register for bankruptcy every year. Another 1,500,000 people will turn to the assorted consumer credit counseling organisations for aid in order to seek to debar bankruptcy. That's a staggering number, but it's dwarfed in comparison to the 37,000,000 people who enterprise to work out programs with their creditors on their own. That's 40 million people a twelvemonth who are in adequate financial problem to take drastic action!

How make people get in such as atrocious financial condition? One manner is through the usage of credit cards. They may be convenient, but they certainly do consumers pay more than for the wares they buy. For instance, a individual paying for a purchase with a credit card will pay, on average, more than than 130 percent for that point than if they had simply paid cash for it.

A large bulk of consumer lone pay the minimum payment on their charge cards, but those payments are generally 90 percent interest, with only 10 percent going toward reducing the principal. A staggering 71% of all credit card holders pay only the minimum payment, and they make it without a idea to the consequences. If they can easily afford the monthly payment, they just maintain paying it, without realizing how expensive their purchases ultimately have got become.

If you are one of the billions of Americans who are only paying the minimum amount on your charge cards, start paying MORE each month. Even if it's only a small more. Reducing the principal balance will shorten your overall payment schedule--sometimes by 100s or even thousands of dollars.

The statistics are mind-boggling, and with interest rates headed even higher, you must educate yourself on the wise usage of credit, wage cash whenever possible, and seek to dwell within your means, even if it agency doing without some things. It's the lone manner you can avoid becoming one of those sad financial statistics yourself.

Copyright © Jeanette J. Fisher