Consumers deal with holiday debt hangover
‘As those holiday credit card bills roll in this month, many people have a deep sense of discomfort.
But credit experts say that instead of feeling overwhelmed by their bloated balances, consumers should use the occasion to get a handle once and for all on their credit card debt.
That could be a bit harder this year because holiday spending was so strong, warned David C. Jones, president of the Association of Independent Consumer Credit Counseling Agencies, based in Richmond, Va.
“There was a huge amount of spending this Christmas,” Jones noted. “That’s good for retailers, but maybe not so good for consumers because there can be serious issues as people get themselves back together financially.”
He said two early warning signs of trouble are when consumers can’t afford the minimum monthly payments on all their cards or fear they can only pay the minimum for months to come.’
Read more at Consumers deal with holiday debt hangover - January 16, 2005
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