You Used Your Credit Cards, Now It Is Payback Time. Banks Get Their “Blood From A Stone’

Karen King owes nearly $36,000, more than she’s ever earned in a year. All day long, bill collectors call. She hunts for a second job, sometimes skips meals, and stays with other family members at a grandfather’s crowded apartment, trying to get out of debt and turn her life around. She largely holds herself at fault. “Years ago, I lived for now. It was so stupid,” the 28-year-old says. “It’s depressing, but I can’t live that life anymore.” Now, she says, “I basically want to live for the fu