Way out of heavy burden

PLASTIC money may make spending easier, but it can also make life depressing for over-spenders.

A habitual problem can become a financial crisis for some.

A spokesman for Hongkong Bank's Customer Services Department said that if a credit card bill was not paid on the due date, the bank offered a range of services to help.

That meant either a loan or an extension of credit.

As a last resort, the credit card would be cancelled and a debt collecting agency may be called in.

Mira Chandra, of Marriage and Personal Counselling, said that each year the service had to deal with four or five people who exceeded their spending limit.