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By Sandra Block
From Kiplinger’s Personal Finance
Carrying a balance has always been costly, but it's particularly expensive now.
The average credit card interest rate in mid-December was 19.42 percent, the highest rate since 1992. As the Federal Reserve Board continues to raise short-term interest rates to throttle inflation, average rates could rise even higher, says Ted Rossman, credit card analyst for Bankrate.com, which tracks interest rates for consumer loans.
It is not unusual for consumers who are struggling to pay their bills to pay the minimum payment on their credit cards. But over time, paying the minimum will add thousands of dollars to the amount you owe....