Credit Card Nation: The Consequences of America’s Addiction to Credit

• ISBN13: 9780465043675
• Condition: NEW
• Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.

Product Description
A fascinating and timely chronicle of America’s tortured relationship to money–and the future crisis that looms as a result of our overwhelming reliance on credit.

Credit-card debt is choking American prosperity off at the neck. In Credit Card Nation, Robert D. Manning tells a fascinating story about the present and future consequences of credit dependence across all strata of U.S. society. Through extensive interviews with consumers, Manning talks to debtors, and to average Americans, affected by what Manning describes as our “credit card nation”: an American juggernaut of indebtedness that spans personal, corporate, and governmental debt.Amazon.com Review
No interest for one year! No annual fee! No minimum payments for six months! And, if you want to believe Robert Manning, there’s no way out of the debt that we find ourselves in, as individuals and as a country. Credit Card Nation combines debt of every kind–consumer, corporate, and governmental–and creates a vast landscape of profit-spewing lenders and struggling debtors present at every level of economics. Appalling statistics set readers off on a depressing journey: the years between 1980 and 1994 saw annual consumer charges skyrocket from $170 billion to $581 billion, with the average household carrying over $4,000 in revolving debt. Accompanied by the erasure of nearly $100 billion in corporate debt and tremendous tax cuts for ever-merging conglomerates, the end of the 20th century seems to be just the beginning of an overwhelming cycle. While Manning’s book is extensively researched, it is also extremely readable. Individual stories of junk bondsmen, corporate raiders, and middle-class consumers are threaded throughout the pages of charts and statistics, with a few surprises. While most media would have us believe that students who rack up charge accounts are totally irresponsible, the reality is that some of these students are helping their families with cash-advance loans to make mortgage or insurance payments. Emphasis is also placed on the tremendous advertising budgets of credit card companies: Manning comments on “how quickly the cultural norms have changed in the Credit Card Nation,” we see a poster insisting “money can’t buy you love, but a credit card can get you started.” This is not a self-help book, and Manning has no 12-step program for debtors at any level. Credit Card Nation simply tells it as it is. –Jill Lightner

Credit Card Nation: The Consequences of America’s Addiction to Credit

Credit Card Debt Consolidation and How To Eliminate Debt

Credit Card Debt Consolidation

Credit Card Debt Consolidation services can make it happen, and there’s no doubt about it. There’s no reason to delay and nothing to lose. Credit card debt consolidation can also help you avoid creditor harassment , one of the main elements that trigger stress induced health problems. Credit card debt consolidation usually makes the combined balance more manageable especially if a lower interest rate is provided. But, if there are multiple other accounts involved that were not part of the consolidating effort, it may take some time to get them all reduced to a manageable level.

Typically, when a customer buys a product with his card or uses his card as an alternative for hard cash, he is offered an interest free credit period. The customer has to make a payment for the credit used on the card before the credit period ends. Typically, debt consolidation programs are debt repayment programs. They can consolidate most types of unsecured debts from major credit cards to personal and student loans. Typically the interest on a debt consolidation loan is approximately 17-23%. That?s a hefty amount of interest that may actually be more than you are currently paying on your debt.

Bad credit debt consolidation is helpful if you want to reduce your debt burden. It is an effective technique for improving your credit scores. Bad credit and excessive debt does not make you a horrible person. With a little help from us, you will be able to get your credit and finances in top shape again. Bad Credit Personal Loans – Our company’s mission is to help people obtain the bad credit personal loans they so desperately need. We’ve helped thousands of people with credit problems find the right personal loan that meets their needs.

Credit Card debt consolidation is a short term answer to a much broader problem. Credit card debt consolidation is an agenda where the debt settlement company directs the debtors in reducing their debts through a monthly compensation of a fixed amount. Debt elimination is not similar to a loan program. Credit card debt consolidation gives you an opportunity to reduce your debts under single lower monthly payments. Thus you get rid of all high rate credit card debts and replace them with the new low monthly payments.

Apply For Credit Card-Getting Approved For A Credit Card Can Be Difficult

Getting approved for a credit card can be difficult without a positive credit history working in your favor. It’s a Catch-22: To obtain a credit card, you need a good credit history. But to have a good credit history, you need to establish good credit!

This no-win cycle can keep people with a non-existent, limited or negative credit history from getting approved for a credit card. But it doesn’t have to if you understand the type of credit cards available and how to build a good credit history.

When it comes to credit cards, the type of card you apply for will depend on your situation. If you’re a student, you’ll, naturally, sign up for a student card. But if you’re a non-student with a non-existent or bad credit history, a card that is secured or obtained with a co-signer may be your best option. With co-signed credit cards, the co-signer guarantees and is responsible for the debt. This means that the co-signing person is responsible for paying the full amount of the debt if the card holder doesn’t pay. In fact, when co-signed debt goes into default, three out of four times co-signers are normally asked to repay what is owed, according to the Federal Trade Commission.

Furthermore, the issuing bank can attempt to settle the debt without first trying to collect from the card holder. The bank can also use the same collection methods against the co-signing individual, including suing and garnishing wages. If the debt is not paid, it can leave a negative mark on the credit history of the co-signer, as well as the card holder.

Despite the risks, a co-signed credit card can be great tool for helping a friend or relative build their credit history so they can one day obtain a card on their own. Secured, co-signed and pre-paid credit cards offer viable options. But you should start building a strong credit history, so you can obtain a regular credit card on your own in the future.

First, you need to understand how credit card issuers determine credit worthiness. The approval criteria varies from among issuing banks, but generally relates to what’s often called the three C’s of credit: capacity, character and collateral. Capacity refers to your ability to pay based on your income and existing debt. Collateral refers to any assets you have that can secure payment, such as bank accounts or home ownership. Character refers to factors like your payment history, length of employment, etc.

To get a good idea about how your application will fare with credit card companies, check your credit history with one of the major credit reporting agencies: Experian (www.experian.com), Equifax (www.equifax.com) and TransUnion (www.tuc.com). These agencies access your payment information directly from the companies you have credit with, as well as from government agencies such as the legal court system.

Credit reporting agencies use the information in your credit history to determine your credit rating or credit score. Credit scores, also known as FICA or Beacon scores depending on the CRA, generally range from 350 to 850. Most banks will approve you for credit if your score is at least 620. If your rating is 720 or higher, banks will offer you their lowest interest rate.

Generally, y our credit score is determined by your payment history for the last two years. T echnically, CRAs calculate your score using a closely-guarded formula. TransUnion, for example, determines credit scores using a variety of factors, including: how you pay your accounts, how much you owe and how often you’ve applied for credit.

http://www.credit-cards-rates.co.cc/