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Most Americans agree, credit cards tempt them to buy more.  83% of adults said that credit cards tempt people to buy things they can’t afford according to a Rasmussen reports national telephone survey.  8% disagreed with this and another 9% were not so sure.

The results that the telephone survey found are similar to the results found last holiday shopping season.

20% of adults say they don’t have credit cards, down 5 points from last year. 23% say they have only one credit card, while another 19% say they have two. Just over one year ago, 34% reported having either one or two credit cards.

36% of adults report having at least three credit cards, and 18% say they have more than three. At the end of last year, 38% said they had at least three cards.

82% woman compared to 73% men report having at least one credit card. 1/4 men do not have credit cards.

Americans may be opting to hold fewer credit cards these days since 50% say interest rates on their cards have been raised in the past six months, as Congress seeks to limit the ability of banks to raise those rates.

24% of Americans also say they need to cut back on using their credit cards.

57% of Americans say there is a need for better government oversight of the credit card industry.

The longer you leave a debt problem the worse it gets and by facing your debts immediately, you’ll be out of your debt problem a whole lot sooner. There is a solution for everyone.  Here are a number of basic tips to get you started

Pay your priority debts first

Priority debts include council tax, TV license, fines, rent, mortgage, utilities bills, hire-purchase agreements, taxes and child maintenance.

Unsecured loans and credit cards are not priorities, so if you must default on any debt repayments then choose these. The fact is that they’re at the bottom of the pile when it comes to repaying debts, which is why they’re often the most aggressive about chasing you.

Be strong

You don’t have to take harassment from creditors. You are well protected in law. If you’re harassed, let them know that it is a criminal offence to demand repayment in a way that causes you or your family fear, distress or humiliation under Section 2 of the Protection from Harassment Act 1997. You can also report them to the Office of Fair Trading under Section 40 of the Administration of Justice Act 1970. Put this in writing.

Tell your friends you’re cutting back

Telling your friends about debts can be very hard, but it needn’t be. Most people have debts, and most have more than they let on. But if admitting debts is a step too far, you can still at least say that you need to cut right back on your entertainment budget. You can use any excuse: redundancy concerns, an unexpected bill, saving for a deposit on a house (or another house) or that you want to be able to save money to take advantage of low share prices.

Contact your creditors immediately

Always call your creditors before things go wrong, and before they contact you. If you promise to call them, call them on time, even if you have to tell them that you can’t afford to pay what you thought

Always attend court hearings

Remember that the law is there to protect you as well as your creditors. If you can’t afford to pay more than $1 per month then no judge will make you do so. You must be able to live, and you must be able to have some money for a little fun, too. Even judges recognize this!

Be totally truthful at all times

Always say what you really can afford. Don’t exaggerate or understate. It is in your interests to tell the truth to your creditors and to the court.

Millions of solutions to debt

There are an unbelievably high number of solutions to dealing with debt, but all most people think of is to consolidate, which is often a poor choice for them. If you’re unable to reduce your debts each month, you should seek help on the millions of ways to tackle your debts, and get a plan that is tailored specifically for you.