How can I get my mom to stop carrying a high APR balance with Synchrony?

[Anonymous]

So, My mother carries around $600-$800 balance with a HSN card at just about 30% APR which I find insane. She doesn't for whatever reason. 

I've talked with here many times of getting a real credit card at a much lower APR with a 0% APR for 12-15 mother and transferring the balance to that. She claims they don't do that. I've tried to convince her otherwise but get shut down. 

Gets constant offers from Cap1, BoA, AMEX, Bank of the west, etc. all with these offers but refuses to take them.

She hasn't pulled her FICO scores but CK vantage is well over 700 and zero negatives on her CR. She has no other credit accounts. 

Am I trying too hard and just have to bite my bit my tongue and see her flush money down the toilet? 

Thanks  

[Jannelo]

Honestly, if you've repeatedly tried to show her  how much money she is wasting by carrying that balance every month and she refuses to see it and/or care, the last thing your mother then needs is another credit card.  Even if she transferred that balance to a new CC with a zero interest BT offer, it seems like, with her mindset, she will then just go ahead and run the existing card back up.     At least, she's not running around trying to app for a bunch of new cards and carrying balances on all of them.  I guess you should be thankful for that.  It could be worse, I guess, but I understand your frustration.  

[Anonymous]

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@Jannelo wrote:

Honestly, if you've repeatedly tried to show her  how much money she is wasting by carrying that balance every month and she refuses to see it and/or care, the last thing your mother then needs is another credit card.  Even if she transferred that balance to a new CC with a zero interest BT offer, it seems like, with her mindset, she will then just go ahead and run the existing card back up.     At least, she's not running around trying to app for a bunch of new cards and carrying balances on all of them.  I guess you should be thankful for that.  It could be worse, I guess, but I understand your frustration.  

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Thanks for pointing that out. I figure if she does that at least it will be a lower APR and get something say a 1.5% cash back card. However on the flip side that could be dangerous and lead to more spending due to it. As well as run balance up on both accounts. 

She also has a crap load of easy payments beyond what is on the account currently that I forgot to mention. 

Perhaps it's just thinking is different compared to most. I think debt is TERRIBLE on depreciating assets and you should avoid it at all costs. Debt doesn't seem to phase her. 

[Brian_Earl_Spilner]

Most people outside this forum don't care, nor do they want to care. As long as she isn't hurting herself or others with her balances, you've said what you needed to, now leave her be.

[Jannelo]

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@Anonymous wrote:

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@Jannelo wrote:

Honestly, if you've repeatedly tried to show her  how much money she is wasting by carrying that balance every month and she refuses to see it and/or care, the last thing your mother then needs is another credit card.  Even if she transferred that balance to a new CC with a zero interest BT offer, it seems like, with her mindset, she will then just go ahead and run the existing card back up.     At least, she's not running around trying to app for a bunch of new cards and carrying balances on all of them.  I guess you should be thankful for that.  It could be worse, I guess, but I understand your frustration.  

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Thanks for pointing that out. I figure if she does that at least it will be a lower APR and get something say a 1.5% cash back card. However on the flip side that could be dangerous and lead to more spending due to it. As well as run balance up on both accounts. 

She also has a crap load of easy payments beyond what is on the account currently that I forgot to mention. 

Perhaps it's just thinking is different compared to most. I think debt is TERRIBLE on depreciating assets and you should avoid it at all costs. Debt doesn't seem to phase her. 

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Well, it sounds like your mom likes to shop on home shopping networks.  The three or four easy payments she does for purchases is from her bank account, it sounds like,  with no interest.  So that's not really hurting her.  I've done that before when I had insomnia and got reeled in by some middle of the night QVC or HSN infomercial for a vacuum cleaner.

[Anonymous]

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@Jannelo wrote:

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@Anonymous wrote:

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@Jannelo wrote:

Honestly, if you've repeatedly tried to show her  how much money she is wasting by carrying that balance every month and she refuses to see it and/or care, the last thing your mother then needs is another credit card.  Even if she transferred that balance to a new CC with a zero interest BT offer, it seems like, with her mindset, she will then just go ahead and run the existing card back up.     At least, she's not running around trying to app for a bunch of new cards and carrying balances on all of them.  I guess you should be thankful for that.  It could be worse, I guess, but I understand your frustration.  

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Thanks for pointing that out. I figure if she does that at least it will be a lower APR and get something say a 1.5% cash back card. However on the flip side that could be dangerous and lead to more spending due to it. As well as run balance up on both accounts. 

She also has a crap load of easy payments beyond what is on the account currently that I forgot to mention. 

Perhaps it's just thinking is different compared to most. I think debt is TERRIBLE on depreciating assets and you should avoid it at all costs. Debt doesn't seem to phase her. 

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The three or four easy payments she does for purchases is from her bank account, it sounds like,  with no interest.  So that's not really hurting her.  I've done that before when I had insomnia and got reeled in by some middle of the night QVC or HSN infomercial for a vacuum cleaner.

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They aren't. They go to her HSN card. 

[Anonymous]

You care and you have tried to offer your mother options/alternatives. Remember, you can't make anybody do something they don't want to (without an order of the court)!

Time to keep a good relationship with "mom" and move on (basically mind your own business).

Gave my mother some financial advice and she told me she was over 21 and for me to go "stick it in my ear" ... boy did I get the message!

[Anonymous]

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@Anonymous wrote:

Gave my mother some financial advice and she told me she was over 21 and for me to go "stick it in my ear" ... boy did I get the message!

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I hope you recovered by saying, "really?! You don't look a day over 20!"

[Save-n-Invest]

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@Anonymous wrote:

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@Jannelo wrote:

Honestly, if you've repeatedly tried to show her  how much money she is wasting by carrying that balance every month and she refuses to see it and/or care, the last thing your mother then needs is another credit card.  Even if she transferred that balance to a new CC with a zero interest BT offer, it seems like, with her mindset, she will then just go ahead and run the existing card back up.     At least, she's not running around trying to app for a bunch of new cards and carrying balances on all of them.  I guess you should be thankful for that.  It could be worse, I guess, but I understand your frustration.  

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Thanks for pointing that out. I figure if she does that at least it will be a lower APR and get something say a 1.5% cash back card. However on the flip side that could be dangerous and lead to more spending due to it. As well as run balance up on both accounts. 

She also has a crap load of easy payments beyond what is on the account currently that I forgot to mention. 

Perhaps it's just thinking is different compared to most. I think debt is TERRIBLE on depreciating assets and you should avoid it at all costs. Debt doesn't seem to phase her. 

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The shopping channels can be like a drug for many people. Their cards are for the birds. I feel for you. The easy payments can be on any card. HSN, QVC etc are happy to take your money anyway they can. The push their own cards.  The merchandise is essentially junk or if there is any quality it's outdated and overpriced. 

I'm with you on debt especially for dumb stuff. Some peope do the casinos and some do shopping channels. I hope she eventually changes to a real credit card. 

Good luck and please post back with any progress or lack of progress. 

[Anonymous]

Yesterday she got a pre-qual for a Chase Freedom with the bounus offer and nearly 1/3 lower APR then the Synchrony HSN card but again was somewhat brushed off.

Oh well as others have said I've tried enough. Perhaps it's progress as it's been mentioned perhaps i should just pay it all off and be done with it. I did have to remind her about the trailing interest tho. 

She recently got a work bounus check and trying to get her to use it to spend toward getting rid of the HSN debt