Florida among states with highest credit card debt

So if you felt like you overspent during the holiday season, you are definitely not alone. Florida leads the country in having some of the highest rates of credit card debt. Consumer investigator Susan L. Corey shares how one woman got out of a tough spot. Broken jewelry. Rooms hold a lot of things. That's from my business. Nancy Kramner knows a thing about that. This is a dog bowl. Her house is full of things she made for her store. Things she thought would end up in someone else's home. I literally had my doors open for three months and COVID came. Forced to close her business at the same time her marriage ended. And I had cancer popped in and you lose your medical insurance when you're on it with your husband. And I had medical bills all of a sudden. One thing after another was simply too much. I've always been financially good. But when it all hit, it just hit with a snowball. I just did not have the income I used to have. She relied on credit cards, but the bills kept growing. I would miss a payment or two. And you know, credit cards, they can go from 12% to 29% by missing a payment. She turned to a debt consolidation program through Money Management International. I can see how much I'm paying per month. Now she's in a different spot. I am, I think, three years into the program and I am about 80% paid off. A recent WalletHub survey found Florida has one of the highest credit card debt rates in the country. At an average of almost $8,000. They're just taking care of it the best way they know they can at that moment. Sandy Raines works at Money Management International. They work with creditors to reduce someone's interest rates and balances, then set up payment plans. We reduce on an average of 25 years off of a credit card term. Their help comes at a price. I think I'm paying them $25 a month for this service. For Cramner, it's money well spent. My credit has actually gone up now. Why do you want to talk now and share what happened to you? Because I think it's important that people know that debt happens. It's not a shameful thing. You can build your way back out of it. Focused on starting over. Now I'm studying to be a medical coder. But still holding on to all the things. This is my writing days here. Reminding you of where you've been. Life happens. And how far you've come. Money Management tells us they're getting more calls for help from younger generations, especially Gen Z-ers. The new year can be a good time to rethink your finances. If you're trying to pay off credit card debt, set a payment plan and stick to it. Also, try to budget more money to paying off those bills. I'm Consumer Investigator Susan L. Corey, taking action for you.