DOES NOT LIVE BEYOND HER MEANS AND DOESN'T CARRY ANY CREDIT CARD DEBT. >> I LEARNED TO RESPECT MONEY WITH A CREDIT CARD. THEY CHARGE YOU A LOT IF I DON'T PAY AT THE END OF THE MONTH. >> PAULA WENT YEARS WITHOUT A CREDIT CARD. >> WE SAID NONE UNTIL I GOT MARRIED. THEN WE SAID WE WILL GET A CREDIT CARD TO BUY OUR TICKET TO SAN FRANCISCO, WE MOVED TO AUSTRALIA.

>> THOSE ARE SUCCESS STORIES. OTHERS ARE NOT SO SUCCESSFUL. KEEPING TRACK OF CREDIT CARD USE GOOD AND BAD IS TED ROSSMAN'S JOB. A SENIOR INDUSTRY ANALYST WITH BANK RATE.COM. >> INTEREST RATES, THE AVERAGE CREDIT CARD CHARGES OVER 20%. THE MINIMUM PAYMENT MATH IS BRUTAL. IF YOU HAVE THE AVERAGE CREDIT CARD BALANCE AND YOU MAKE MINIMUM PAYMENTS, YOU WILL BE IN DEBT FOR MORE THAN 17 YEARS. >> AND FOR SOME, THAT IS A BEST CASE SCENARIO. IF YOU HAVE BAD CREDIT, YOUR RATE IS LIKELY AROUND 30%. >> YOU HAVE CREDIT CARD DEBT? >> NO. >> SAN FRANCISCO'S LAYLA DECKER USED CREDIT CARD DEBT STRATEGICALLY TO GET HER EDUCATION. SHE WAS JUST AS STRATEGIC ONE PAYING OFF HER DEBT. >> HOW DID YOU GET OUT OF IT? >> WORK EXTRA, TAKE ON AN EXTRA JOB DURING COLLEGE. >> SMART. SHE SAYS NEARLY HALF OF US CAN LEARN FROM IT. >> WE FOUND 47 PERCENT OF CREDIT CARDHOLDERS CARRY DEBT FROM MONTH-TO-MONTH.

TWO YEARS AGO IT.