Comments on: Targeting Students With Easy Credit Isn’t Just a U.S. Thing

By: Ian

Ian — Sun, 17 Jun 2007 05:13:35 +0000

Yep, the UK has a similar problem. My company went bust last month. I’m trying to revive it at the moment, and started a blog which will focus on the business side first, but also track my own story once I get time to work on personal finance as well as people like you do!

By: Rob in Madrid

Rob in Madrid — Fri, 15 Jun 2007 16:29:30 +0000

They have the same problem in the UK, massive easy credit culture, along with recently introduced tuition fees (university used to be free) means students are graduating with heavy debt loads. As I find interesting articles I’ll pass them your way.

By: jim

jim — Thu, 14 Jun 2007 19:06:00 +0000

It’s all about getting people to spend without associating it with real money… whether it’s casino chips, credit cards or IOUs.

By: Maria

Maria — Thu, 14 Jun 2007 15:02:34 +0000

For me it was a free water bottle! But the guy offering was kind of cute. LOL.

By: Kevin

Kevin — Thu, 14 Jun 2007 13:15:27 +0000

Heck, not only is it a global problem, but it’s not even only a “human” problem. Just take a look at the horrific debt levels for companies and governments as well.

By: danielle

danielle — Thu, 14 Jun 2007 09:10:00 +0000

It isn’t just for college students anymore. At my local bank, they are giving away free bottles of coke “Zero” if you sign up for their “zero” interest credit card. Get it, zero calories, zero interest? Har dee har har.
I saw a woman sign up for it. She wasn’t college age. She was our mothers’ age.

By: Shawn Ward

Shawn Ward — Thu, 14 Jun 2007 03:34:55 +0000

Fantastic post. It is nice to see someone highlight the fact that debt is not just a US problem. It is a true global issue.

Check out this story – where the BBC describes UK’s debt at “Time Bomb” levels.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/4366225.stm

By: KCLau

KCLau — Thu, 14 Jun 2007 02:12:04 +0000

I found an article at Malay Mail that talks about how to reduce credit debt
http://www.mmail.com.my/Current_News/mm/Profit/PFeature/20060918115539/Article/index.html

By: Richard

Richard — Thu, 14 Jun 2007 01:32:39 +0000

I’m from Trinidad and Tobago (Southern Caribbean), and youth aren’t encouraged to use credit cards at all. In fact, for the most part, credit cards are something that “your parents” have… or MAYBE when you start to work. We don’t even really encourage the use of debit cards.

Most youth either use cash or ATM cards (no VISA/MC logo, must use PIN). And we’re pretty much fine with that. Credit isn’t something that has really perpetuated itself through our society (as yet).