I’ve always been fascinated on how popular culture glorifies credit cards. What fascinates me about credit cards the most is that they are so powerful that they can turn you life around and help you live the life you had always dreamed of. Credit cards appear to be an insignificant piece of plastic, but they are more powerful that what they appear to be. Owning a credit card opens up doors to different worlds, especially when you own more than one credit card. Marketers always announce the glories, convenience, and safety issues of owning a credit card, but what they never tell you is that you must be vigilant on how you use your credit card/s because you may end up stuck in a world you wish you had never entered in which your dreams all …show more content…
The first places to offer credit cards were hotel chains, service stations, and department stores (Stephey 2009). It wasn’t until the postwar around 1950 when the credit cards really became popular. The first credit cards issued were made of cardboard. Around 20,000 Americans during this time carried these cardboard credit cards in their wallets (Stephey 2009). Furthermore both American Express and Bank of America in 1958 issued their own credit cards to their customers. Bank of America issued 60,000 credit cards which are now known as VISA to residents of Fresno, CA (Stephy 2009). Since then the number of credit card holders has risen, in 2008 half of US college students owned about four credit cards. During the 1950’s when credit cards were first introduced to society they were used because they were convenient to have. People didn’t have to worry about running to the bank if they didn’t have enough money to make a purchase. Furthermore now there are really different reasons than before to have credit cards. In the American society luxuries have become a necessity and to keep up with the latest luxuries many of us turn to our credit cards (Zumello 2011). Stores caught on to all of this and they figured out that in order to keep their customers fidelity and have them come back even if they don’t have money they must issue credit cards for their customers. Department stores would reward you as long as you make your payments on time; however as soon as you miss one
Credit was born from Alfred Sloan, “ He set up the nation 's first national consumer credit agency in the 1919 to make his cars affordable”( Digital History). Sloan wanted to make money, sloan was convinced that Americans were willing to pay extra for luxury and prestige. Thus he he created credit so people would buy his cars, even if they were costly. With this new product many americans began to buy cars, clothes,furniture,household products,e.t.c. Pretty soon cars came a symbol of the new society forming in the 1920’s.”In that year, one American out of every 5 owned a car, compared to one out of every 37 English and out of every 40 French car owners”(Digital History). In other words Sloan didn’t care about lowering his price so that more people could
James D Scurlock’s “Maxed Out” focused on the revolving use of credit cards to charge now and pay later and the fact that once the credit card was maxed out another one was sent from the credit card companies and the whole process begins all over again. Scurlock’s essay made the reader aware of the downfalls and hardships that can occur when credit cards are constantly used for purchases compared to Kevin O’Donnell’s “Why Won’t Anyone give Me a Credit Card”.
cards in making purchases (Associated Press, January 16, 2006). The results of the study of consumers
Credit cards were not common during this period. First appearing in 1950, these were used mainly by the wealthy for convenience instead of carrying cash or a checkbook (Durkin & Price, 2000, p. 624).
The main argument throughout this documentary is that credit cards are the main cause of the debt crisis, which occurred in 2006 in America. Credit cards are portrayed throughout this documentary to carry negative consequences, aiding in the corruption of the system, and ultimately creating debt problems that America faces as a nation. The main question we are left with is, can we as a nation live without credit cards?
Not only for those seeking to retire, the business motivated economy has transfigured how one must live in order to live comfortably. Building credit through credit cards is often perceived to be the only way in order for a buyer to appear credible. Yet in the quest for the optimal credit score people enter into debt. Considering and evaluating the risks and benefits to credit cards may contribute to opinions towards those flimsy pieces of plastic.
And that's just in the United States. The card has become more secure and can be managed in the palm of your hands. From freezing your account to making deposits it can be even more secure to making online, over the phone, and on your phone/apps by the touch of your phone. That's how the credit card evolved from being a cardboard to cheap flammable plastic and now a card you can wear out. In the end the credit card was invented by a man that couldn’t pay his bill in a restaurant and thought of one of the best thing that people nationwide could use and that forever changed the way we paid for
With religion playing an important role in the average Americans lives, consumerism began to grow in the white and blue-collar workers. Their families started to spend extra cash instead of saving it. Washing machines, dryers, and new cars became commonly bought items. The Homeowner who needed some extra cash, but couldn’t work enough hours to purchase that item when he needed it, started to use personal credit. This began the craze of credit cards. ”The Diner Club” introduced the first credit card in 1950: By the 1970s the ubiquitous plastic credit card had revolutionized personal and family finance”(Henretta, pg.790). The awareness of addition free time was aware
U.S. consumers remain addicted to credit. Consumer debt continues to rise to record levels and a significant number of households have lost control of their finances. Credit cards can be a useful financial tool when used appropriately. However, research clearly indicates that consumers are not using credit cards wisely and consumers do not understand the terms and conditions of the credit card contract. Adding to this public dilemma, the practices of numerous credit card issuers have been described as predatory. The Credit CARD Accountability Responsibility and Disclosure Act of 2009, also known as the Credit CARD Act of 2009, is the first major reform of the credit card industry since the Truth in Lending Act of 1968. The Credit CARD Act of
Consumers use credit cards for numerous reasons. Those reasons are: the earning of cash back, safety, points and frequent-flyer miles, universal acceptance, and to build credit (Investopedia.com). Credit cards can allow for cancelations a payment on a service that did not meet the expectations of the consumer, which is really beneficial. However, consumers own a few too many credit cards that all have different interest rates. The reason credit debt is so astronomical, is because consumers are paying the required minimum payment
In the world of personal finances, credit cards play an important roles in lives of many people. Sometimes, it's out of choice while other times it happens out of necessity. Regardless of why it happens, the numbers surrounding credit card debt are worthy of scrutiny in order to determine whether having or using credit cards is a sound financial decision.
The article is about why young Americans (millennials) are afraid of credit cards, and why they do not use them. Americans with credit card debt under the age of thirty-five has dropped to the lowest since 1989. Since the financial disaster in 2008, older Americans have lowered their credit card debt. However, millennials’ credit card debt has dropped faster than any other age group. Young people became scared of credit cards because they do not want to owe money to companies like their parents were or are. If millennials continue to use credit cards less, this will hurt the economy’s growth and the financial system. Since millennials refrain from using credit cards, they will lose out on building credit. Building credit brings advantages like
In today’s economy, cash or a credit card is needed to meet the basic human needs. It is an apparent fact that we need cash or credit cards to purchase items such as food, clothing, and to buy gas. Also, when you are out shopping and discover that you have used all the cash in your possession, it is then that you realize that the advantage of having a credit card. Furthermore, with cash, you are restricted to the amount in your wallet or purse; however, a credit card allows you to pay for your purchase at a later date. Both cash and credit cards can be useful when you manage them wisely. While cash and credit cards are similar in that they both are readily accessible, used for goods and services at the time of purchase, they are dissimilar because of theft, high- interest rates, identity theft.
Many people today get carried away with using their credit cards. The negative effect to this is the amount of debt that can be added up to one person. Tim Chen tells us that in 2015, the average credit card debt for a household consumer is over $16,000. Many Americans today love traveling. Cards back then were only to be used locally. In the world today, it does not matter if we are out of town or in our hometown, we are able to use our cards wherever we please. When the first card was made, and for a while after, the card could only be used locally. Woosley and Gensen also mention that the holder of the card also had to have an account at Biggins bank. If he or she did not have an account with this particular bank, they did not have a Charg-It card. The purpose for this card was to be able to buy products and pay for them later. People who did not have the money at the time of purchasing the goods he or she needed, could purchase the necessities if he or she agreed to pay for them later. The merchant would record the prices and the debts would be in a certain amount of time. The Charg-It card was a great addition to the world, but it was not the only card created at the time.
The question of whether credit card companies should market on campuses or not, brings many different opinions, some of which are driven by personal experience and some that are driven by profit. There are those who do not agree with this because they know what they have gone through with credit card debt. There are also those who say they should market on campus because they are adults and contribute to the company’s profit. Even though students are adults and need to earn credit, credit card companies should not market to college students on campus because they are too naive and this results in graduating with too much debt.