Credit Wisdom
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Transcript of Credit Wisdom
Credit Wisdom
Managing Money & Credit:A Lifelong Skill
Why Credit is Important• FICO or credit score:• Credit Card Issuers &
Lenders– Determine APR
• Auto Insurers– Determine Premium
• Employers– Are you a worthy hire?
• Landlords– Are you a reliable tenant?
The Three Cs of Credit• Character: The way
you handle money and have repaid debt in the past.
• Capacity: Your ability to pay the debt after considering other monthly expenses.
• Capital: The value of your assets or what you own.
What’s Next? Life After High School
60%
40%Work force
School: 2-year, 4-year,
or vocational school
Learning Boosts Earning
Education Average Annual Income
Professional $71,258 Doctorate $60,729 Master's $48,772 Bachelor's $40,387 Associate $26,536 Some college, no degree $20,998 High school graduate only $18,571 Not a high school graduate $10,839
Your Paycheck• 50% of U.S. young
adults work• Earn a minimum of
$5.15 per hour• Work an average of
20 hours / week• $412 - Monthly• $4,946 - Annual
Where Does All the Money Go?• Food, Snacks &
Beverages• Movies• School Events• Music, CDs, Concerts• Clothing, Cosmetics &
Shoes• Cars, Gas &
Insurance• Cell Phones
Credit Cards – The Perceived Great Equalizer
• Credit lets you buy more than they can afford. – Credit and credit cards– Current World Problem
• Needs are essentials– Food– Shelter– Clothing– Reliable transportation
• Wants are extras– Eating out– Big, expensive house– Shop till you drop– Brand new or an expensive
car
Who Uses Credit Cards?• U.S. population = 298 million
• Use credit cards = 150 million
• Pay off monthly = 50 million
• Carry a balance = 100 million
• 2/3 of credit card users don’t pay off their balance
•
$9,300 = average debt per household
America’s Love of Credit• 1.6 million
bankruptcies were filed in 2004
• Americans are declaring bankruptcy at 10x the rate they were during the depression
Personal Savings Rate Declining• 1974 to 1984
– 10%• 1985-1994
– Fell to 4.8%• 2004
– 1.8%• 2005
– -0.5%• 2006
– -0.7%• Hasn’t been negative
since the Great Depression
Saving for the Future• Save 10% of every
monthly check• Use savings for:
– Emergencies– Big purchases
• Trip with friends• Car
– Down payment on a home
– Retirement
Advantages & Disadvantages of Credit Card
• Advantages– Convenient– On-line purchases– Kick-backs i.e. cash, airline
miles, etc.– Can rent a car
• Disadvantages– Doesn’t seem like real
money– Easy to overspend
Use Credit Wisely
You should use credit to buy:– House – Car– Education (student loan)
and you’ll avoid trouble
Only Buy What You Can Afford• Pay off monthly
balances– Avoid interest– Avoid late fees
• Know your budget• Know yourself
– Are you an impulse buyer?
Pay More than the Minimum• If you have a credit
card balance:– Make a plan to pay as
much as you can every month
– Start with the credit card with the highest interest rate
– Pay off the credit cards as quickly as you can
Limit the Number of Cards
Americans have an average of 8 credit cards
Always Pay on Time• Avoid late fees• Keep your money in
your pocket• Maintain a good credit
score– Late payments have
the biggest negative impact.
• Easiest way to make money is to save money.
Choose a Low Rate• 0% is lowest
– But remember the catch
• 15.75% average fixed rate.
• If you pay your card off every month, the rate won’t matter.
What Not to Use Credit For:
Pay Day Loans
Payday Loans / Check Cashing
Stay Away!What is it?
– Cash Loan– Extremely High
Interest– Short-term (14 – 45
days)
How Do They Work?• You postdate a check
• They give you a loan
• Loan last for 2 weeks
• They charge you a fee for borrowing the money—equivalent APR can be over 300%.
Risks of Payday Loans• Not a long-term cash
solution• Borrowers get
trapped in a payday loan cycle of debt– Take out loan after
loan