Notably, the suggestion that "it's fine if you pay off your card every month" or "loans are sensible if you get good rates" only holds for people with some kind

Notably, the suggestion that "it's fine if you pay off your card every month" or "loans are sensible if you get good rates" only holds for people with some kind of faith in stability. With a stable job and some savings, paid-off credit cards and zero-apr loans are great tools. If you're worried about losing the job and barely making rent (like many millennials are) then even 'safe' debt becomes troubling.