Credit Wisdom

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Credit Wisdom
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Managing Money CreditA Lifelong Skill
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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?

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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.

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Whats Next? Life After High School
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Learning Boosts Earning
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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

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Where Does All the Money Go?

• Food, Snacks Beverages
• Movies
• School Events
• Music, CDs, Concerts
• Clothing, Cosmetics Shoes
• Cars, Gas Insurance
• Cell Phones

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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

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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 dont pay off their
  balance

9,300 average debt per household
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Americas Love of Credit

• 1.6 million bankruptcies were filed in 2004
• Americans are declaring bankruptcy at 10x the
  rate they were during the depression

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Personal Savings Rate Declining

• 1974 to 1984
• 10
• 1985-1994
• Fell to 4.8
• 2004
• 1.8
• 2005
• -0.5
• 2006
• -0.7
• Hasnt been negative since the Great Depression

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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

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Advantages Disadvantages of Credit Card

• Advantages
• Convenient
• On-line purchases
• Kick-backs i.e. cash, airline miles, etc.
• Can rent a car
• Disadvantages
• Doesnt seem like real money
• Easy to overspend

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Use Credit Wisely

• You should use credit to buy
• House
• Car
• Education (student loan)
• and youll avoid trouble

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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?

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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

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Limit the Number of Cards
Americans have an average of 8 credit cards
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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.

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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
  wont matter.

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What Not to Use Credit For

• Pay Day Loans

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Payday Loans / Check Cashing

• Stay Away!
• What is it?
• Cash Loan
• Extremely High Interest
• Short-term (14 45 days)

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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
  moneyequivalent APR can be over 300.

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WA State Payday Regulations

• Can loan up to 700
• Charge 15 per 100 borrowed up to 500
• Charge 10 per 100 borrowed above 500
• You pay 95 to borrow 700 for two weeks
• Annual APR 391.07

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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