Perils Of Plastic

It's estimated that some 26 million Americans are in trouble with their credit--primarily because of easily obtained credit cards--and that 4 to 6 million more are on the verge of bankruptcy. Sobering statistics, to say the least. Interviewees at the opening of the program say that before they went looking for help, they were using one credit card to pay the bill on another. Too many people don't understand that "credit is not extra money, it's borrowed money...with interest." From this promising opening, Perils of Plastic begins to veer all over the road: jumping from deferred student loans, to reading the fine print on automobile contracts, to applying for a small business loan, and so on, before finally returning to what was ostensibly the subject to begin with--credit card debt. While there are some good tips on consolidating loans and working with companies (there's also a bit of a plug for the reportedly low-cost Consumer Counseling Center), Perils of Plastic is too unfocused in its approach--it can't decide whether it wants to be a how-to for consumers or an introduction to the subject of credit--to be much use to either consumers or students. Not recommended. (See THE CAMBRIDGE CAR BUYING SYSTEM for availability.)