Higher credit card rates are squeezing many consumers

At first, she hardly noticed.

Susan Scallan had bought furniture when she moved into housing for low-income seniors in Decatur three years ago. And then, while dealing with a health crisis, she used “retail therapy” to comfort herself with clothes and shoes.

Although she’s receiving some Social Security and working a $14-an-hour receptionist’s job, she doesn’t have enough for rent, food and also to pay off her credit card bills, too, so she carried some debt over from month to month.

“I didn’t even think about credit card rates going up, because everybody was only talking about the mortgage rates. And then, all of a sudden, my balances were so high, it just snuck up on me. Right now, I’m not charging anything.” She was maxed out.

Fuskie
Who has made a mistake if he carries any credit card balance other than under a promotional financing plan…


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