Кредитная задолженность: последствия и права заемщиков.

Credit card debt results when a client of a credit card company purchases an item or service through the card system. Debt grows through the accrual of interest and penalties when the consumer fails to repay the company for the money they have spent. If the debt is not paid on time, the company will charge a late payment penalty and report the late payment to credit rating agencies. Late payment is sometimes referred to as "default". The late payment penalty increases the customer's total debt. A customer's interest rate may be significantly increased as a result of them missing multiple payments. The penalty Annual percentage rate (APR) varies between card issuing companies and is usually disclosed in literature at the time of a credit card application, and also on a paper notification that is sent with the credit card to the customer's residence. Research shows people with credit card debt are more likely than others to forgo medical care than others and that the likelihood of forgone medical care increases with the magnitude of credit card debt.

A debtor who pays their debts on time and most of the balance each month tends to positively affect their credit score. People who tend to carry a balance which is near their credit limit from month to month and does not pay down their balance can negatively affect their credit scores. Credit use, the number of on time payments and the length of time one has had one's credit card can effect the credit score of the credit card debtor. The overall score of a debtor varies between scoring agencies and services that report to the bureaus.

In the U. S., a consumer has the right to dismiss certain types of debt under U. S. Chapter 7 and Chapter 13 bankruptcy laws but to do so, they must fulfill certain obligations. A bankruptcy expert reviews the debt with the debtor prior to proceeding with these actions. Certain kinds of debt reviewed may be considered fraud if it is discovered a line of credit was used to make unusually large purchases or cash advances 60 days before the bankruptcy case was filed.

Some credit card companies have attempted to lobby at the U. S. federal level to tighten U. S. bankruptcy laws to make the cancellation of credit card debts more difficult.

Once a debt is handed to a collection agency, the agency will attempt to recover the customer's unsecured debt. If a debt collection agency is unable to collect a debt despite attempting to do so, it may use legal action in court to attempt recovery of the debt. A successful judgement against the debtor can include seizure and garnishment of assets including bank accounts and wages in order to pay off outstanding debts. Customers have rights under the U. S. Fair Debt Collection Practice Act, which specifies they can ask in writing a debt collection agency to stop calling them about a debt. This does not stop the collection process but may lead to a legal challenge if a no contact request is made. If the statute of limitations has passed in certain U. S. states and legal actions have not been issued against the debtor, a collection agency must remove the outstanding debt from their credit report. The process in the U. S. varies between states.

A collection agency or credit card issuer may choose to forgive the entire debt, relieving the debtor of the need to repay the debt. In the U. S., this results in the sending of a 1099 C tax form to the debtor, which the debtor is required to file. In the U. S., the reportable amount varies between states.