Secret History of the Credit Card

Please view the "Secret History of the Credit Card" video at the following address:

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/credit/view/ (Links to an external site.)

After watching the documentary then answer each of the following questions each in a complete paragraph.

1. What did you know about credit cards before watching the series?

2. Why do you think people have more than one credit card?

3. What information in the documentary most surprised you?

4. Do you think the government should have a role in regulating both who can get credit cards and what interest and fees consumers should pay? If so, who should be the regulators? Who would benefit from such regulation? Who would lose?

5. How, according to the four "normal consumers" in the documentary, does owning a credit card or credit cards affect purchasing decisions? Who loses and gains the most from credit card companies' policies? Explain.

6. Has the documentary influenced how you might use credit cards in the future? Explain.