Credit Card Debt for College Students

Credit Card Debt for College Students

College students are running up an alarmingly large amount of credit card debt these days and it is only increasing with the passage of time. The average undergraduate student carries $2,500 in credit card debt and by the time they graduate from college, they are beginning their new lives in the “real world” with debt that they can’t pay.

Students figure: I'll live like I want to now and then when I get a job it will be easy to pay it back. This is often not the case. Lower-than-expected salaries, plus higher-than-expected living expenses and hefty student loan payments, make handling credit card debt all the more difficult for students and recent grads.

And the worse part about college students having so much credit card debt is that it takes so long to pay it off. Even if they are able to make the minimum payments, by sticking to minimum payments it would take a student more than 12 years and $1,115 in interest to pay off a $1,000 bill on a card with an 18 percent annual rate. If students fall behind in their payments, they get slammed with high late fees. And it's easy for things to get out of hand.

Of course, there are two sides to this story. Most college students start out with little and even no credit, so having a credit card seems like a good idea so they can start building a credit history in anticipation of owning a new or better car and even, someday their own home. Except for if they haven’t been warned of the dangers of using credit cards or are especially naïve, this could be a bad move.

Credit card debt for college students affects many, many aspects of their college lives. They can’t pay their bills regularly and find themselves short of cash. Plus, it can affect their ability to secure a student loan which can be crucial with ever-rising tuition rates. And parents should beware of putting their college student on their own credit cars as an authorized user as the same debt can pile up under the parents’ names and cause some serious credit problems.

Armed with the right information, many students are able to establish credit and steer clear of card debt. Even though college students do carry credit card debt, 54 percent of college students pay off their credit card balances every month.
Most tend to be responsible and use the card wisely.

However, some of them don't and they're getting into trouble. If a person makes it through 18 years of life without any financial wherewithal, it's very difficult to change their behavior and that's why it's so important that parents speak to their children about money management. To keep a college student out of credit card debt, the key is teaching students money management skills before handing them a credit card.

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2007 Tim Watson

Credit Card Debt Relief

Credit Card Debt Relief

You’ve been using that little plastic credit card more than you should have and now find yourself saddled with huge credit debt and no relief in sight. But don’t despair. The truth is that there IS relief for people who have a large amount of credit card debt. The average American carries $10,000 of credit card debt between two, three, and even four credit cards or more. That’s alarming when you think about it, and these people truly need some relief from the burden of credit card debt.

Carrying that much credit card debt seriously affects your ability to obtain loans for things like a car or a home. This is especially true if you are making late payments or skipping payments on your credit card debt. That’s why it’s important to find relief both monetarily as well as emotionally from the debt as soon as possible. There’s a reason why you’ve amassed this much debt, so addressing the underlying issues of why you’ve charged so much is just as important as trying to pay off your credit card balances.

First, you should not feel bad if you find yourself in a bad credit situation where you need to repay even a modest amount of credit card debt. Most all households across the United States have some type of credit card related debt and many of them need to at some point eventually seek out the services of a credit card debt relief service.

Consumers will find that debt relief from your credit cards can take on many different forms. The first step that you as the consumer should take is to owe up to whatever it is that you owe and what about your spending habits needs to be changed.

Are you someone who has the tendency to spend money that you don't really have? Has a horrible medical issue arisen in your family that has resulted in turning to credit cards in order to take care of monthly expenses? Whether you find yourself in one of these situations or another one all together it is very important that you at least try to make the minimum payments until you can seek out a much better solution to your issues.

If you have a large debt to income ratio it is likely that seeking out a credit card debt relief is going to be your best option. Being committed to changing your spending habits is needed for debt relief services to be most effective.

Credit card debt relief services can help you work with your credit cards companies often reducing the total amount that you owe and help you get back on track to getting all your debt paid off. In time you will find yourself in a much better financial position and using your credit cards much more responsibly.


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Credit Cards And No Bank Account

Credit Cards Without A Bank Account

When you think about credit cards, what do you think of first? Which aspects of credit cards are important, which are essential, and which ones can you take or leave? You be the judge.

Having a credit card is a great thing indeed, although most are hard to obtain for those who have a less than perfect credit history. The restrictions for getting most credit cards are so tough that those who have bad credit may find it nearly impossible to get a credit card, or they find themselves hit with extremely high APR rates, and find it hard to compete with the interest.

For those who have less than perfect credit or no bank account, there is hope. There are credit cards known as no bank account cards, that can help those with bad credit. These types of credit cards are quite easy to obtain, and they can actually help you to get your credit back and track and live the life you’ve always dreamed of.

Credit cards of this type are pre-loaded, meaning that the credit limit you have it what you load onto the card, by pre payment. If you want to control your spending and know how much you have, this credit card is what you need. They are also great for those who want to learn about managing money as well. Another great thing about these cards is the fact that they will give you power and convenience of a credit card - yet they will allow you to live within the means of your income as well.

Before you rush and get one of these credit cards, you should first look around and find the best deal possible. Most no bank account credit cards offer you same rewards and incentives of traditional credit cards, along with online access to your account. The best cards are accepted across the world, and offer you ATM access for instant cash. If a card doesn’t offer you these types of features, you should pass it by and look for one that does.

Other things to look for with no bank account credit cards include low APR rates, no annual fees, and excellent customer support. Customer support is very important with these types of credit cards, as you don’t want a card that doesn’t offer you great customer support. If you encounter a problem, you want a company that is going to be there when it matters the most.

If you take your time and research no bank account credit cards, you’ll find one that you can’t refuse. There are many to choose from, especially if you look online. You should always compare features and rates, and look for companies that offer you cards with excellent features and low rates. This way, you can get everything you love from traditional credit cards - without having to worry about your credit or needing to have a bank account.

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