2005年NPR美国国家公共电台四月-Going Beyond the Current Bankruptcy Measu

Commentator¹ and personal finance advisor² Liz Pullian Weston says Congress could pass other laws that would mean fewer people would need to file for bankruptcy³.

First, we need to reinstate usury⁴ laws. It seems almost quaint⁵ now. But thirty years ago a 20 percent interest rate on your credit card would have been illegal in many states. Credit card companies offer plastic to nearly everyone no matter how bad their credit. And the lenders protect themselves by charging astronomical⁶ rates. If we reinstate the interest caps, many of today's families would have less access to credit. But that's not necessarily a bad thing. If people have to pay two, three or even ten times the market rate for a loan, they probably are in no shape to afford that loan in the first place.

Another real solution to the bankruptcy crisis is a major overhaul⁷ of our health insurance system. The problem isn't just the forty five million Americans who are uninsured, three out of four debtors⁸ who filed bankruptcy for medical reasons actually had at least some insurance. One woman I talked to had a thirty-percent Copay which was fine for day-to-day medical expenses, but which turned into a disaster when she had a baby who spent several weeks in intensive care. She owed more than thirty five thousand dollars to the hospital and had no hope of ever paying the bill with her thirteen-dollar-an-hour job.

Finally, we need better consumer education. Congress should pass a law requiring credit card companies to tell consumers how long it would take to pay off their debts. Consumers should know that if they owe five thousand dollars, it could take them forty years to pay off the balance if they only pay the minimum. Getting a message like that might encourage more people to pay off the credit balances that they have been dragging around.

Capping interest rates, providing a better health insurance and discouraging credit card debts would reduce the number of bankruptcy filings. We could prevent people from going broke instead of just punishing them after the fact.

Liz Pullian Weston is the author of the book "Your Credit Score".

1 commentator   

n.注释者，解说者；实况广播评论员

参考例句：

• He is a good commentator because he can get across the game.他能简单地解说这场比赛，是个好的解说者。
• The commentator made a big mistake during the live broadcast.在直播节目中评论员犯了个大错误。

2 advisor   

n.顾问，指导老师，劝告者

参考例句：

• They employed me as an advisor.他们聘请我当顾问。
• The professor is engaged as a technical advisor.这位教授被聘请为技术顾问。

3 bankruptcy   

n.破产；无偿付能力

参考例句：

• You will have to pull in if you want to escape bankruptcy.如果你想避免破产，就必须节省开支。
• His firm is just on thin ice of bankruptcy.他的商号正面临破产的危险。

4 usury   

n.高利贷

参考例句：

• The interest of usury is unfairly high.高利贷的利息惊人得高。
• He used to practise usury frequently.他过去经常放高利贷。

5 quaint   

adj.古雅的，离奇有趣的，奇怪的

参考例句：

• There were many small lanes in the quaint village.在这古香古色的村庄里，有很多小巷。
• They still keep some quaint old customs.他们仍然保留着一些稀奇古怪的旧风俗。

6 astronomical   

adj.天文学的，（数字）极大的

参考例句：

• He was an expert on ancient Chinese astronomical literature.他是研究中国古代天文学文献的专家。
• Houses in the village are selling for astronomical prices.乡村的房价正在飙升。

7 overhaul   

v./n.大修，仔细检查

参考例句：

• Master Worker Wang is responsible for the overhaul of this grinder.王师傅主修这台磨床。
• It is generally appreciated that the rail network needs a complete overhaul.众所周知，铁路系统需要大检修。

8 debtors   

n.债务人，借方( debtor的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Creditors could obtain a writ for the arrest of their debtors. 债权人可以获得逮捕债务人的令状。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Never in a debtors' prison? 从没有因债务坐过牢么？ 来自英汉文学 - 双城记