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"Government is an unnecessary evil. Human beings, when accustomed to taking responsibility for their own behavior, can cooperate on a basis of mutual trust and helpfulness."

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Are We Underestimating What We Spend On Credit Cards?
An investigation organized by Egg says consumers have greatly underestimated the amount that credit cards are used throughout the United Kingdom, what this means is consumers are spending a lot more than they think. The investigation revealed that when ...

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Are Student Loans Better Than Credit Cards?
 

When applying for student loans, it's so important for prospective college students to calculate their finances as best they can to receive the appropriate funding. From tuition and books to room and board, living expenses and food, students should make sure to secure the funds they actually will need to get them through each semester at college.

By applying for the correct amount, students won't find themselves in a bind or get themselves into a credit card nightmare.

Way too many college students these days get into big trouble with credit cards. It's unfortunate that students too inexperienced to know better receive enticing credit card offers in the mail. Usually when a credit card offer looms over a student, it's like dangling a carrot in front of a rabbit. The student grabs the credit card offer without thinking ahead. Credit cards oftentimes appear to be a quick fix or a type of "free money," and they then become the remedy students think they need.

Student Loans versus Credit Cards

If anything, it's the opposite. Like student loans, credit card debt must be paid back. There's a huge difference though. Student loans usually are taken out with fixed interest rates, depending on the type of loan and a students' credit rating, amount of loan, repayment terms, etc.

However, there's usually a catch when students receive those "amazing" credit card offers. The catch is sky-high finance charges, some as high as 22 percent! However, oftentimes students don't think about the finance charges when they accept the credit card offers. It's kind of like, "I'll think about that later."

Some students who haven't taken out enough student loans to cover their college expenses resort to credit cards to pay for necessities, books and even rent! They'll use their credit cards to take out cash advances, which usually have even higher finance charges than by simply charging.

Never-ending Cycle of Debt

There are students who accept more than one credit card offer. After hitting the limit on one credit card, it's easy to accept another and then another, and so on. With the high interest rates and finance charges attached to these credit card offers, students easily can rake up more than they bargain for. When students pay off credit cards by only paying minimum monthly payments, they are making their financial situation worse. Finance charges accrue month after month. It could take almost a lifetime to pay off the credit card bills.



About the author:

This article is distributed by NextStudent. At NextStudent, we believe that getting an education is the best investment you can make, and we're dedicated to helping you pursue your education dreams by making college funding as easy as possible. We invite you to learn more about student">http://www.NextStudent.com">student loans at http://www.NextStudent.com.



Credit Cards News


The Balance Transfers Blog (blog)

New credit cards may ease travel
Chicago Tribune
The three newest consumer credit cards — two from Bank of America, one from JPMorgan Chase — reflect consumer exasperation with some of the current card "features" that may not look so good to savvy travelers. All three have some advantages that many ...
Credit card balance transfers can help you tackle debt, but be disciplinedHamilton Spectator
Credit Cards with Rewards ExplainedMK News
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Forbes

This Week in Credit Card News
Forbes
On average, borrowers had $4962 in credit card debt in the January-to-March period. That's down 4.7 percent from the previous quarter, but card balances grew 6.1 percent versus the first quarter last year. The number of new credit cards issued to ...
Holly McCall, Stay-at-Home Mom, Challenges Credit Card Rules, But Questions ...Huffington Post
Stay-at-home moms unqualified for credit cards because of 2009 lawDaily Caller
New Credit Card Rules – a Step Back in Time For Women?Patch.com
Phys.Org -WHAS 11.com (subscription)
all 11 news articles »

Discover CFO: Interested In Private-Label Card Business
Wall Street Journal
By Andrew R. Johnson Of DOW JONES NEWSWIRES NEW YORK (Dow Jones)--Discover Financial Services (DFS) is interested in getting into the private-label credit-card business, Chief Financial Officer Mark Graf said, noting the lender "took a look" at HSBC ...

and more »

Moody's: US Credit Card Charge-Offs Rose In April
Wall Street Journal
The charge-off rate for US credit cards rose in April, mostly caused by a significant increase in charge-offs from the Citibank trust, Moody's Investors Service said. Charge-offs, or loans that lenders don't expect they will be able to collect, ...


Stay at Home Moms Face Credit Card Challenges
Forbes
A 2009 credit card law, the Card Act, made changes to how people can qualify for credit cards. Under the act, a person can only qualify for a credit card based on their own income, not the household income. This was designed to prevent people from ...