Winning the Debt Battle By Losing the debt

Use the guide below to walk your students through the lesson and you can download a copy of the student guide to print out for your students. 

Here is the copy of what “J” wrote to Penny, in the Tampa Bay Times. 

Florida Financial Literacy Standards
SS.912.FL.4.5: Explain that lenders make credit decisions based in part on consumer payment history. Credit bureaus record borrowers’ credit and payment histories and provide that information to lenders in credit reports.

SS.912.FL.4.6: Discuss that lenders can pay to receive a borrower’s credit score from a credit bureau and that a credit score is a number based on information in a credit report and assesses a person’s credit risk.

SS.912.FL.4.7: Describe that, in addition to assessing a person’s credit risk, credit reports and scores may be requested and used by employers in hiring decisions, landlords in deciding whether to rent apartments, and insurance companies in charging premiums.

SS.912.FL.4.8: Examine the fact that failure to repay a loan has significant consequences for borrowers such as negative entries on their credit report, repossession of property (collateral), garnishment of wages, and the inability to obtain loans in the future.

SS.912.FL.4.9: Explain that consumers who have difficulty repaying debt can seek assistance through credit counseling services and by negotiating directly with creditors.

SS.912.FL.4.10: Analyze the fact that, in extreme cases, bankruptcy may be an option for consumers who are unable to repay debt, and although bankruptcy provides some benefits, filing for bankruptcy also entails considerable costs, including having notice of the bankruptcy appear on a consumer’s credit report for up to 10 years.