The level of credit card debt in the USA is disturbing. Those who appear to have debt that is out of control have an average of over $15,000 of debt all of which will have a high level of interest applied at the end of each month. Even if users are able to pay the minimum that the card companies require at the end of each month their balances will hardly come down; it is core debt. It seems that the lessons of the recession have not been learned. While a full blown recession is unlikely to return there is little doubt that there are many households that are ill-prepared for any financial problem that might occur.
Emergencies
A minority of families have any provision for a financial emergency and even though unemployment figures show that there is definite growth in the economy and in job opportunity, there are no guarantees in life. It is important to prepare a budget and follow it. Why not ask yourself what you would do if you lost your job? That will bring home the reality of your situation and the need to act.
It is easy to see that during the recession some had to turn to their credit cards simply to meet their everyday expenses. It appears that not a lot has changed with a significant number of people. They should all look at their spending and adjust things to reduce their outgoings and as a consequence their problems. Credit cards are an expensive way to fund your lifestyle.
