Great chart in this WSJ article debating merits of debit vs. credit:

Questions to get the discussion going:

• How much overlap is there between the top credit card and debit card providers?
• Taking JP Morgan Chase as an example, assuming that the average annual interest rate on their credit cards is 18%, how much interest are they collecting on their unpaid balances every year?
• Which mode of payments are expected to increase between 2013-2018 (see chart in lower left)?  Which mode of payments are expected to decrease in this time period?  What headline could you put on that chart?
• Which credit card companies are growing fastest (bottom right chart)?
• What are your favorite methods of paying for stuff?
• Students can read the article linked here and debate the pros/cons of debit vs. credit.

About the Author

Tim Ranzetta

Tim's saving habits started at seven when a neighbor with a broken hip gave him a dog walking job. Her recovery, which took almost a year, resulted in Tim getting to know the bank tellers quite well (and accumulating a savings account balance of over $300!). His recent entrepreneurial adventures have included driving a shredding truck, analyzing executive compensation packages for Fortune 500 companies and helping families make better college financing decisions. After volunteering in 2010 to create and teach a personal finance program at Eastside College Prep in East Palo Alto, Tim saw firsthand the impact of an engaging and activity-based curriculum, which inspired him to start a new non-profit, Next Gen Personal Finance.