The Real Deal: Rising credit card debt raises concerns among New Yorkers
From homes to credit cards, we are witnessing the impact high-interest rates are having on New Yorkers.
Many of us swipe a credit card to pay, but new numbers reveal that those bills aren't being paid off, and credit card debt is rising.
From homes to credit cards, we are witnessing the impact high-interest rates are having on New Yorkers.
"We have seen rising credit card debt throughout the country for the past year and a half as the Federal Reserve has been raising interest rates, and it's no different in the tri-state area. In New York around $4,470. Nationwide it stands at $3,950, so we are higher than the national average, and it just keeps climbing month after month," says Caleb Silver of Investopedia.
Experts at Bankrate explain just how high those interest rates have gotten.
"The average credit card charges 20.75%, which is the highest we have ever seen, and we have been tracking this for about 40 years."
It sometimes is hard to see how interest impacts you, so he says think of it like this: You have credit card debt around $6,000. Your interest rate is at 20.75%, and you just make minimum payments. You are going to be in debt for about 18 years, and you will pay about $9,500 in interest.
Bankrate advises, "Advice obviously is to pay it off as soon as you can. A good tip would be to get a zero percent balance transfer credit card."
You can call your credit card company to ask about those offers. Just know they may come with a transfer fee. Another thing to watch out for is store credit cards.
"We recently did an analysis of store cards, and we found dozens of them over 30%; they tend to be the worst offenders in terms of an interest rate standpoint."
And while rewards on credit cards are great, experts say you must pay the card off in full each month to see the true reward.
