Some people get into debt by buying things they do not need and are unable to afford. What are the reasons for this behavior? What action can be taken to prevent people from having this problem?

Many
people
owe money because they purchase unnecessary goods that they cannot afford. Relentless advertising in the
media
and the easy availability of
credit
are the main reasons for
this
, and I believe it is the responsibility of governments to intervene and issue stricter guidelines to prevent irresponsible lending and to regulate advertising in the
media
. Advertising in the
media
has caused many
people
to go into debt. Clever marketing can lead
people
to believe they need something when in reality they do not, driving them to spend unnecessarily. Another reason that
people
are buying things they cannot afford is the fact that
credit
is easily available. Nowadays financial institutions make it widely known that anyone can get a
credit
card or a loan.
For example
, wonga.com has been heavily criticized in the United Kingdom for providing short-term loans at high interest rates that can be instantly sent to someone’s bank account after applying online. These practices could be curbed through government regulation of excessive advertising and unsound lending practices.
In other words
, if governments capped the amount of advertising allowed in the
media
and required applicants for loans or
credit
to prove that they have sufficient income,
people
would be under less pressure to spend recklessly and
also
would not have the means to do so.
For example
, in Germany, a person is not allowed to borrow more than 10% of their annual income in any one year, and if they do, the bank will be penalized with a heavy fine. In conclusion, rampant lending and excessive marketing have led to many
people
being burdened with debt, but
this
can be avoided if authorities regulate advertising and put in place proper rules that lenders must adhere to.
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    • Sentence 1 - Topic sentence
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Topic Vocabulary:
  • consumerism
  • financial literacy
  • impulse buying
  • credit score
  • debt management
  • sustainable living
  • emotional spending
  • budgeting skills
  • peer pressure
  • retail therapy
  • frugality
  • credit limit
  • financial counseling
  • minimalistic lifestyle
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