Debt Levels Slow Down in Mato Grosso do Sul, But Still High
Listen to the story
People in Mato Grosso do Sul owe a lot of money. This is called debt. The state has R$11.1 billion in debt. This is a very big number.
Fewer new people are getting debt now. This is called inadimplência in Portuguese. It means not paying money you owe. The problem is growing slower now. But the total debt is still very high.
In one city, Corumbá, the news is worse. Almost half of the people there have a bad money record. This is called being negativado. It means a company called Serasa has your name on a bad list.
Serasa checks if people pay their bills. When people do not pay, Serasa puts their name on a list. This can make it hard to get a loan or buy things later.
Experts say people should be careful with credit. Credit is money you borrow now and pay back later. Experts say credit should not be extra income. People should not use credit like a salary.
Vocabulary5 words
- debt
- money that a person or place must pay back
- inadimplência
- not paying money that you owe
- negativado
- having a bad record because you did not pay money
- Serasa
- a company that checks who pays bills and who does not
- credit
- money you borrow now and must pay back later
Quiz
Answer key
1. R$11.1 billion 2. It is growing more slowly 3. Almost half have a bad money record
Fill-in-the-blank listening
Play the audio again and fill in the missing words as you listen.
People in Mato Grosso do Sul owe a lot of _____. This is called _____. The state has R$11.1 _____ in debt.
Fewer new people are getting debt now. This is called _____ in Portuguese. The problem is growing _____ now. But the total debt is still very _____.
In one city, _____, the news is worse. Almost _____ of the people there have a bad money record.
Experts say people should be careful with _____. Experts say credit should not be extra income.