Through it all, a lot of ordinary Americans borrowed a lot more money then they could afford to pay back, running up enormous credit card bills and borrowing against the value of their homes.

总而言之，许多美国人借了那么多他们根本无力偿还的债务，迅速上升的信用卡账单和依靠房屋价值的借款。

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Card companies will also tell them how much their borrowing will cost at the higher rate, so they will be able to see the real impact of an interest-rate increase when making their decision.

当他们在作决定的时候，信用卡公司会告知他们透支金额产生的高额利率成本，因此他们能看到利率上升对他们的真正影响。

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A 0% credit card can also be useful for paying off big-ticket items or short-term borrowing, but don't keep money on it for longer than the 0% offer lasts - you will be hammered with interest.

零利率信用卡对高价项目和短期借贷也很有用，但是不要超过零利率提供期限—届时你将受到利息的重压。

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With a credit card, you are borrowing money every time you use it.

VOA: special.2009.05.21

The Federal Reserve Consumer Credit Report released yesterday showed credit card borrowing in July took its first decline in three months.

FORBES: Credit Card Balances Decline Significantly

Credit cardholders and issuers have both made changes that brought an excessive system of credit card borrowing and lending back under control.

FORBES: Credit Card Issuers Report Declines in Defaults, Delinquencies

Even before the new law, bankruptcy rates have been rising, fuelled by a rapid rise in consumer debt, especially credit card borrowing and personal loans, which have reached record levels.

ECONOMIST: Bankruptcy: Forgive and forget? | The