Financial Choices that Can Get You Into Deep Debt
If you are not careful with your finances, your spending habits will inevitably lead you into deep debt. This has been an unfortunate reality for many Americans who are now struggling to get their finances back to stable ground. Recognizing the financial choices that can get you into debt is important because it allows you to stop any poor spending habits that you have before it leads to considerable debt.
Misuse of Credit Cards
Credit card debt is something today’s families are all too familiar with. Credit cards offer a convenient way to buy things without having to worry about making an immediate payment. Rather than paying in cash, like you would with a debit card, you can use a credit card to charge your purchases. Most credit cards have a limit that ranges anywhere between $1,000 and $10,000. This keeps your spending controlled but it can lead to deep debt if you don’t make large enough payments every month. Not to mention, credit cards have a substantial interest rate which takes money out of your budget.
“Stop!”. From the streets of India 7 by Zuhair Ahmad, on Flickr. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License.
Payday Loans
Short-term loans are advertised as a quick and easy solution to end your debt. If you want to pay off small bills or financial obligations, they give you the cash you need. Unfortunately, payday loans often lead to deep debt and this debt can be difficult to recover from. It’s a financial decision that comes with sever repercussions if you aren’t careful. Before taking out a payday loan, be absolutely certain that you can pay off the loan within a few weeks.
Personal Loans
A personal loan is a type of traditional loan, such as one that you might receive from the bank. While personal loans can seem harmless, they can lead you into deep debt if you are unable to afford repayment. A bank loan like this one would normally provide you with a loan interest rate and low monthly payment. However, the length of your loan is sometimes years or decades. This is a lot of responsibility to take on and it’s unmanageable for some borrowers.
Risky Investments
You may be aware that wealth can lead to more wealth. The more money you have, the more you can invest. This is a very true statement, but unfortunately, not everyone invests their money wisely. Every investment carries risk and the goal is that the reward will outweigh that risk. However, it won’t always work out in your favor. If you make risky investment, there is always a possibility that it could go sour and lead you into debt.
Mortgages
A mortgage is a type of investment and it’s generally a very profitable one. However, banks are sometimes too generous and they approve you for a mortgage that will make your finances tight and lead to debt. If you want to stay out of debt, then you need to avoid committing to substantial mortgage. If you can get approved for $250,000, then you should probably look for a home closer to $150,000. This protects your finances and provides you with room to breathe.
