Tag Archives: credit card debt

Should you invest or clear off credit card debt first?

If you have outstanding credit card debt, you might be considering making an investment, the income from which you expect would help make it easier for you to pay back your debt.

Most financial planners would advise against it, however, because it takes time to actually earn from new investments, and with any kind of investment – whether buying stocks, bonds, or venture capital – there is always some degree of risk involved. On the other hand, there are some safe investments that you can look into but it is rather rare to be able to find one that is low-risk and offers a higher return than your credit card interest rate.   (more…)

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Credit Card Debt: Younger People Borrow More Heavily and Repay More Slowly, Study Finds

COLUMBUS, Ohio – Younger Americans not only take on relatively more credit card debt than their elders, but they are also paying it off at a slower rate, according to a first-of-its-kind study.

The findings suggest that younger generations may continue to add credit card debt into their 70s, and die still owing money on their cards.

“If what we found continues to hold true, we may have more elderly people with substantial financial problems in the future,” said Lucia Dunn, co-author of the study and professor of economics at Ohio State University. (more…)

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Why Russians Think Americans Don’t Own Their Homes

*UA sociologist Jane Zavisca says the two countries are polar opposites when it comes to mortgage financing.*

When the Soviet Union disintegrated in 1991, one of the structural problems the new government and free-market economy had to deal with was housing. Most Russians lived in government-owned apartments that had been built beginning in the late 1950s. The question then became, who owned all of that Soviet-era housing?

In her new book, “Housing the New Russia,” due to be published by Cornell University Press, Jane Zavisca said the new Russian government dealt with it by announcing that this huge stock of apartments was, as of 1992, privately owned. (more…)

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