Few days back, I joined a Twitter Space with Basis as a panel member to talk about 'Credit Horror Stories'.
I was elated when they approached me for the first time, but I was scared & nervous too. First times are always scary. However, I am not one to crawl out of challenging situations, that are out of my comfort zone. I had a great time interacting with the panel, other speakers & listeners.
Here are four key takeaways-
💳 Youth is generally asked to avoid Credit Cards by elders, because of the prevalent fear around debt & default consequences, such as hefty interest rates. Instead of avoiding Credit Cards, focus should be shifted towards learning responsibility associated with 'payment within time limit' and 'checking spending capabilities'.
💳 Don't judge the book by its cover. Options/Features like BNPL, splitting costs in 3 parts, payment of minimum due amount, are great but instill false sense of security. Just because of single payment can be split in 3 parts, multiple payments still create a pile of cash outflow every month.
💳 Presence of Multiple Options can be confusing & tempting. There are varied types of Credit Cards & Credit Solutions (such as Prepaid Cards) that are tempting to us. We may end up having multiple credit sources, and ensuring payment of 10-11 such sources within time and maintaining them is a hassle, and can lead to defaults. Don't run behind product look, aesthetics, etc. Set your limit on number of credit cards/bank account and STOP.
💳 Women or children in households are often told ‘You don’t know this- I’ll handle it’. There is a need to shift the approach towards learning (among those who don’t know) and mentoring (by those who know). Its responsibility lies on all shoulders, as there should be willingness to learn as well as to mentor.
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