You may have heard that the average American more than 8,000 dollars in credit card debt carried. It is often politicians, journalists, and to ensure that the coming economic collapse of the signs of the number of experts. They believe that consumers have a huge debt burden, which will stop spending like drunken sailors struggling. Economic recovery!
What is the highlight of this statistics does not know his way. On the contrary, the statistics paint a picture, is wrong.
In fact, most Americans no credit card company.
Most families had to balance of 2,000 or less.
Only in 20 U.S. households 1 per 8,000 or more credit cards.
These figures from the Federal Reserve’s consumer financial policy in 2001, what kind of Americans and their debts, a survey of the most comprehensive assessment. (Updated every three years the survey, summed up the results for 2004 will be published in early 2006.)
Do not tell the story of the media
Most people think of the 8.000 € CardWeb.com credit number, credit card services behind the trend.
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CardWeb is that the average American has more than 8,000 short. The statistics show that U.S. households have at least one credit card per the average debt is eight thousand nine hundred and forty U.S. dollars in 2002, the most recent year of data.
To obtain this number, simply by dividing the total amount of credit card debt CardWeb the end of 2002 –750,900,000 $ 000–8400 million, reported at least one credit card for American families.(CardWeb uses a slightly different definition of the family, the Fed will not. And the company has identified 80% of households, rather than 76.2% of the federal government at least one credit card.)
However, CardWebs and definitions, households have at least an average credit card debt.
If you know something about statistics, but we know that medium-term and not really a story.
Think about what would happen if you and your friends and family on the 17th with Bill Gates and Warren Buffett in the room. An average income of people in the room to the north of 4.0 billion. In fact, everyone is stealing someone else’s personal net worth of only 10 million, or 100 million or even 10 million, will not affect most of the media because the big boys sooooo richer than you.
To heart: If you really frugal
Around the same way, the relatively small population and large credit card balance, it seems that with a typical distortion of the average debt burden of the United States, far more than he or she really is. Consider:
23.8% of U.S. households have no credit at all – no cash, no card retail.
Another 31.2% of households in the last Fed survey paid credit card bills.
So, together, the family who has nothing to do 55% of the total credit card.
Here are some good news: the balance is actually paid from 1998 to 2001 is more common. Percentage of family credit card (Visa, MasterCard, etc.) have said that they regularly pay the full balance of 1.5 percentage points, increased to 55.3%.
We did not mean the debt
One who is assessed, the average debt 1,900 families. This means that the net pay half of the family, the other half did not.(Midline is less subject to slope in the middle, which is why economists tend to their phenomenon.)
Bill VIP Forum, Washington, DC research firm, Whitby helped me dig deeper. Credit card debt analysis of all the respondents family Fed, Whitby found that:
Only 29% of households on their cards 1,000 or more.
21% is 2,000 dollars or more.
6% is 8,000 yuan.
4%, we have $ 10.500 or more.
1% of the four past nine p.m. ○ ○ dollars.
What with Fair Isaac, FICO credit score the author of several million credit report check found that ridiculed the Fed’s statistics.
Some survey among a world of difference between the Fed and the vision of a fair and Isaac. On the one hand, the credit report is individuals – not the world as a family, or even a joint credit report such things. In addition, you must use a credit card have credit report. Finally, credit reports typically distinguish between balances you pay each month and what you wear.
But again, statistics show that a fair Isaac, many of which are mild to moderate users of credit world:
About 48% of credit card debt holders of less than $ 1,000
About 10% of the cardholder balances totaling more than 10,000 U.S. dollars.
More than half of total credit to the following credit cards for 30% of all people using a credit card limit.
Just 18 people to use 80% of the credit limit or more.
There are still many problems
This means that all complaints related to consumer debt so much noise? Not really. Although most Americans seem to avoid the credit card trap, there are still many people in the financial profitability:
More than a third – 36% – of those who have their cards more than 10,000 families earning less than $ 50,000, according to the VIP Forum analysis.
Who owes 13%, many families have income of less than 30,000.
Used to pay debt on disposable income ratio is still near record levels.
The median family’s total debt increased by 9.6% from 1998 to 2001.
Failure of another record in 2003, 160 million personal statement, the American Bankruptcy Institute reports.
All of this has been more than enough evidence that many people in too much debt. The average American, however, seems to get better.