Credit counselor warns of holiday bills

The head of Iowa’s largest credit “counseling” agency urges Iowans to think before they charge. Tom Coates of Consumer Credit of Des Moines says you should develop a holiday gift budget before you go to the store.Coates says don’t let “deferred credit card billing” lure you into spending more than you planned, as it detaches the reality from the financial situation you’re in.Coates says the average Iowa will spend about nine hundred dollars on Christmas gifts this year. He says he’s concerned that each person spends what he or she can afford to avoid getting into debt.