I saw part of an interview the other day with some financial guru, and he said that people who are in debt and have poor credit scores are simply lacking in integrity.

That’s a pretty broad statement. Not to mention fairly inaccurate. I know people from any different walks of life, and I can tell you, quite bluntly, that this guy is off his rocker.

I know professionals, doctors and lawyers, who charge people over and above the cost (all costs) of providing service – just because they can; I know others who “give their word”, only to go back on it when it seems most opportune – for them, of course.

I know regular people too, who are struggling to keep a roof over their heads, pay the utilities, and have food on the table – if they say they’re going to come help you with some project or other, by God, they show up. If they say, “Trust me”, you can believe that statement and count on it.

One could assume that these doctors and lawyers are merely making errors, or don’t realize the impact their decisions have on others; this would make them thoughtless, not necessarily uncaring. Of course, they could certainly change that – no one can be thoughtless without, on some level, realizing it. And yes, there are some professionals who truly do care, who do empathize, lest you think I’m leaving them out.

And, too, I know people who can’t be counted on for anything; people who lie, who try to “get away” with things that aren’t strictly illegal – but immoral, and wrong.

I would imagine that highly paid, well-regarded individuals would have decent credit scores and do pay their bills. But I also find it difficult to believe that anyone with a salary of $100,000 or more would find that hard to accomplish. They truly have no idea, or have forgotten, what most people struggle with on a daily basis.

The average person, trying to make ends meet, doesn’t inhabit a lavish life-style and overspend; they merely spend to make those ends meet.

Suppose a person has a medical condition – they obtain treatment, they heal, then the bills arrive. The hospital frequently will not accept “I can’t” for answer – they want their money. Now. After receiving bills he cannot pay, phone calls he cannot answer, most people will start avoiding. Does this make the bills go away? Of course not. But it lowers the stress, to a point. It’s always there.

The average person will tell a bill collector that he can’t pay; the collector harasses and threatens; the collector takes him to court. Then what? The average person now has interest charges, court costs, possibly attorney fees. Does any of this get the collector’s money any quicker? NO!

It does affect the health and well-being of the average person; it does contribute to the coffers of the court; it does inspire an attorney to rack up more billable hours. Yet, this financial guru says the average person in this scenario lacks integrity.

Who lacks integrity? The bill collectors who call every day, demanding money; the ones who, especially, laugh at a small amount that the average person can perhaps pay and demand a higher payment, over the phone, right away.

Who else lacks integrity? The doctors, lawyers, professionals who make in excess of $100,000 a year – the ones who overcharge, who delay court appearances, who claim to be so “busy”. These are the people who lack integrity.