*** There are some rididculously rude, miserable people on these boards -- I agree with some of you. Don't let the nay-sayers / miserable with thier lives people get you down 
@Anonymous wrote:Now of course IDEALLY one would want to PIF always, but most Americans rely on credit cards to get by in life -- even those who make well over 6 figures. Debt is sadly, a part of life for many -- Ive always found it ridiculous that banks extend all this credit but dont want you to really use it, then AA you for using too much of the line THEY GAVE YOU!!!
Credit is not suitable as a sole emergency fund. Yes, reality is that many cannot or have difficulty establishing a liquid reserve and end up relying on credit. However, everyone should at least be aiming to pay every statement balance in full, not spend what one does not have and to have a liquid emergency reserve. To not have those is not a long term sustainable practice no matter why one is in the situation one is in.
As for creditors and AA, you're only seeing it from your perspective. From a creidtor's perspective, high revolving utilization is a significant risk factor. It is what it is. We are all subject to the same system. If that's a problem for you then you need to really work on your financial situation. It doesn't matter what the averages are. A creditor is a business, not a charity. It has to carefully balance risk with other considerations. Most of how credit is assessed is a matter of risk analysis from looking at one's credit reports. That's why these are the standard factors and the typical weights for FICO scoring.
http://www.myfico.com/crediteducation/whatsinyourscore.aspx
@Anonymous wrote:I'm not saying it's a good idea to get into debt or carry balances, but it happens, for many different reasons -- I feel like these boards are either filled with all ridiculousy loaded people who can always PIF, or many of them simply charge very little amounts.
One does not have to be loaded to not spend what one does not have. Emergencies certainly happen but a large number of people are in debt due to optional spend.
I run a lot through my cards and PIF anything not on 0% offers. I've been working on eliminating the 0% balances as that was money that I did not have. I'm not quite there but getting close.
Do not rely on analysis of forum posts. Any discussion forum presents a skewed data set. Work out what you need to do and get to work on that versus worrying over what others do or do not. It's not about following the herd. There's no way to confirm that people actually do what they post here anyway or don't mispreresent themselves to at least some degree.
@Anonymous wrote:Just some food for thought -- not sure who will agree, but I do find the constant advice of "always PIF" to be idyllic, but not very plausible for most people. AND, I think the AA seems to overblown for the reason of high UTIL at least -- anyone else ?
Basically this thread is a validation that I'm not the only one in the country (or on these boards) who will carry balances somewhat often, at least at this young stage in my life. :-)
You're not the only. No one is ever the only on any topic. However, that doesn't meant that those in the same boast as you shouldn't be working towards the recommendations. The recommendations are based on how the system works. You can disagree with it but it is what it is. It's more productive to work with it even if you do find it diffucult and a challenger versus fighting it. The system is not going to change for you. Exceed the risk tolerance of a creditor -- whether due to revolving utilization or other reasons -- and you run the risk of adverse action.
If you're routinely outspending then carefully analyze your finances and see what you can do to at least mitigage in part if not in full. All of the advice presented is to help people understand how things work. If you're tired of hearing it then it's up to you to choose to disregard it. The only thing you have control over is yourself. Don't be discouraged by the suggest goals and apooraches. Remember what is frequently posted: it's a marathon, not a sprint. It's a long, slow process and if you're having to work your way out of trouble it can seem to take even longer.
@Anonymous wrote:*** There are some rididculously rude, miserable people on these boards -- I agree with some of you. Don't let the nay-sayers / miserable with thier lives people get you down
If y'all are referring to my post, then okay I accept responsibility for it.
I still stand by my posts though. The people with the highest FICO scores and financial stability and wealth DO NOT pay interest to CC companies by carrying a balance over month after month. I promise you.