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Consumer debt continues to rise. Understanding the Consumer credit picture is an important business resource. These are some of the most Frequently Asked Credit Related Questions. E-business purchases are most likely to be paid for with a debit or credit card.
Q
How many credit cards does one household have?
A
The average household with at least one credit card has 6 bank cards, 8.3 retail credit cards, 2.4 debit cards for a total of 16.7 cards
Q
What is the current percentage of card transactions on-line?
A
More than 70% of on-line transactions involve payment cards
Q
How much debt does the average person in US have?
A.
Americans owe $2 trillion in non mortgage debt.
Q
How much of that is credit card debt?
A.
Credit card debt is about $785 billion or $7,500 per household. However if we are looking at just households with more than one card, that average rises to a range of $9,000 - $23,000 per household.
Q.
How much credit card interest does the average household pay each year?
A.
Based on households with at least one card, that average is $1,100 per year.
Q.
What percentage of college age-students (18-21) have credit cards?
A
81%
Q
What is their average card balance?
A
For Undergrads the balance is about $3,000.00. And it nearly doubles for graduate students. Student credit cards often carry the highest interest rates.
Q
How much does a credit card issuer spend to get a customer
A
Average is $80 per account, but it can be $200 or more
Sources: Gallup, Consumer Credit Counseling, Nellie Mae, Cardweb
Reminder: When people do not pay off their credit cards in full each month, they are in effect taking out a personal loan to pay for disposable items like a tank of gas, a meal or movie tickets.
by Jody Victor
With 10,000 acres of vineyards, farms, beaches, parks and forest, Pelee Island is almost any visitors dream island. Even though it is the southernmost inhabited point in Canada, over half of the 50 American states are north of Pelee, including Northern California. Pelee Island is on the same latitude as the prestigious wine regions of the world, including Portugal, Spain, Italy, Germany, France, and Napa Valley, California. High winds blowing off the lake, a high number of frost-free days, and a deep soil base insure prime growing conditions for grapes.
Stretching around the perimeter of the island the main road provides an excellent route to cycle or walk. For nature enthusiasts there are over 10,000 unique species inhabiting Pelee Island. Bird watchers come every year to witness the seasonal migration of hundreds of bird species at Fish Point Nature Reserve.
There are several other points of interest such as the Vin Villa ruins – all that remains of Canada’s first commercial winery. The recently restored Pelee Lighthouse, built in 1833 to guide ships through the treacherous Pelee Passage. And the museum located at the west dock which has an exhibit on shipwrecks claimed by Lake Erie’s shallow waters during storms and naval battles, and an amazing exhibit on Al Capone and his rum runners who used Pelee Island as a stepping stone into Ohio during Prohibition.
Other activities include fishing, trails for hiking, long sandy beaches and camping. A number of Bed and Breakfasts and restaurants are also available.
Whether you get to Pelee Island by the ferry from Sandusky or by plane you are sure to find its natural beauty and many activities, make for a memorable day, weekend, or vacation.
Columinist: Jody Victor, Markerman Productions.. read more
by Margaret Ross
Ehealth is growing more pervasive among—and more relevant to—physicians and patients alike. Harris Interactive surveyed 400 physicians and 10,000 patients for their second Vital Signs survey. Long after the first e bubble, physicians continue to move online and to report that the information they find on line influences their real-world medical decisions in significant ways. More physicians than ever before are adopting online tools to deliver patient care. Similarly, the Internet’s reach has expanded, and its call to action has increased, among the overall patient population. E-health has advanced and accelerated the movement initiated by direct-to-consumer drug advertising: the migration of patients toward more active engagement in their care.
The Internet continues to have a major impact on physicians in the United States.
- Physicians continue to spend about three hours a week online for professional reasons. Latest data show that they spend more than half of that time on the Internet at home, where they are free from the distractions of the office and are otherwise unreachable. Once online, the vast majority of doctors continue to use the Internet to augment their clinical knowledge. Most physicians online also say that the information they find on the Internet has an impact on their knowledge about symptoms, treatments, and possible diagnoses.
- Around three-quarters continue to report that the information they find online has an impact on their prescription decisions.
- Physicians have begun to use the Internet in more discerning ways—engaging in more interactive activities, adding more types of websites to their repertoire, and referring patients to websites.
- Electronic prescribing, electronic medical records, and remote disease monitoring are garnering wider audiences as obstacles to the adoption of these tools are overcome.
- Overall, doctors are turning to patient-care tools because they deliver on the two dimensions most important to them: enhanced quality of care and improved efficiency.
- Of the one-quarter of doctors who communicate with patients online, most do so only with the handful who request this method of consultation.
- Doctors are not alone online: About 80 percent of all patients surveyed now search the Internet for information about health-related topics.
Source: Harris Interactive
