Credit card debt in America has reached $905 billion dollars, according to a recent NerdWallet survey. Kimberly Palmer, Personal Finance Expert at the company, joins Cheddar to explore some of the reasons behind the increase.
Two categories have outpaced income growth over the past decade: medical expenses and food. Healthcare costs, in fact, have increased by 34% while income has only grown by 20%. She gives some alternatives for how to pay off those expenses without whipping out the credit card.
Plus, people always say you're throwing out money when you rent a home, but how much money are homeowners throwing away in credit card interest? Palmer says that a house may be a great asset, but owners tend to ring up double the amount of credit card interest versus renters when spending on things like upkeep.
Air travel costs are up but there are ways to make the airport experience better and cheaper. Travel journalist Francesca Page joined Cheddar News to provide how to bring those costs down while traveling, especially ahead of the holiday season.
The nation’s employers added 336,000 jobs in September, an unexpectedly robust gain and the largest monthly rise since January, evidence that many companies remain confident enough to keep hiring despite high-interest rates and a hazy outlook for the economy.
