August 2, 2010 Archives

I have yet another confession to make. Even though I often tell others to read their credit card agreements, I have never done so until now. And I'd be lying if I told you I got much further than the first page.

It's not that I have an aversion to reading. In fact, I love a good book, editorial etc., but there is a reason that I don't reach for my credit card agreement when I want to unwind. It's seriously the most boring and tedious text I've ever tried to understand. And I think that says a lot coming from a recently graduated journalism/neuropsychology student.

Apparently I'm not the only one who has trouble stomaching the fine print. The average credit card agreement is written at a 12.37 grade level, making them incomprehensible to approximately 80 percent of Americans, according to a recent study by CreditCards.com.

I read above a 12th grade level. I've been tested. But even still, skimming my contract made me wonder whether or not I'm in need of some remedial classes. What tripped me up were the insanely long sentences and the feeling that traps lurk within every paragraph.