6 steps to credit card serenity

We've become a nation dependent on plastic. Rent a car, buy a gift online, make airline reservations.

We think nothing of pulling out our credit card for these and hundreds of other transactions every year. That's not necessarily a bad thing. Credit cards can be a convenient and safe alternative to cash. But too often, before you know it, credit card purchases spiral out of control (to the tune of more than $8 trillion a year) with a simple swipe of the card.

Then, with high rates, fees, penalties, continued spending and the other pitfalls that can happen with credit cards, debt accumulates much faster than your ability to pay it down.

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