Credit Card issuers now mail out some 2.5 BILLION solicitations annually. That’s equal to 25 credit offers for every US household. My kids even receive offers addressed to them. Credit cards are great if they are used as a convenience card and paid off in full each month. The problem is that credit card debt has risen over the past five years, growing to an average of $6,000 to $7,000 for the estimated 75 percent of users who don’t pay off their balances each month. You can not get ahead financially if you are not paying off your credit cards each month. I would encourage you to make this a very high priority in your financial management life.