This Valentine's Day, Don't Go Into Diamond Debt

Valentine's day is creeping closer…a big day to celebrate abiding love or seal the deal on a new one with a diamond engagement ring. And now for the wet blanket: diamond debt. You know that whole two months salary for an engagement ring calculus? It’s tradition, right? Not really. Diamonds were not associated with romance until the Debeers Diamond Company began marketing them for engagement rings in the 1930s. Debeer’s "Diamonds Are Forever" campaign remains one of the most successful of the 20^th century. So, young men still march into jewelry shops prepared to spend…and retailers have plenty of financing available for those who don’t have money up front. Gerri Detweiler, is the director of consumer education for Credit.com, and she recently wrote a blog post about the common credit traps diamond buyers fall into.