• MirthfulAlembic@lemmy.world
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    4 hours ago

    Considering how many Americans have crippling credit card debt, especially poor people, would that be worse? I’m sure they’d still offer those credit builder cards with low limits that you have to deposit collateral for the limit.

    • Blackmist@feddit.uk
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      3 hours ago

      I’d expect a lot more use of buy now pay later schemes like Klarna.

      It’s similar to a credit card, but prevents build up of crippling debt.

      I personally use my credit card and pay in full each month, not because I need the credit, but because in the UK you get the benefit of Section 75 protection on purchases. I’ve used that a few times when companies have gone bust. If I’d paid on debit card I’d have been screwed.

      • uranibaba@lemmy.world
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        3 hours ago

        Buy now, pay later does not prevent crippling debt. It makes it easy to buy without thinking or realising the actual cost. It makes is easy to stack up invoices that you in the end can’t afford.

    • SkunkWorkz@lemmy.world
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      3 hours ago

      Don’t Americans have a thing called Credit Score. If you are not paying off debt you don’t build up a score and good luck getting a mortgage without one.

      • MirthfulAlembic@lemmy.world
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        1 hour ago

        It’s a combination of factors. Having debt itself isn’t as important as payment history, age of accounts, etc. Credit card debt is probably the opposite of helpful; paying off a card every month in full for a long time is much more useful.