U.S. household debt approaches $12.6 trillion, close to 2008 record

Current household debt in the U.S. is at just about $12.6 trillion, according to the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. That’s how much we’re all taking out in loans. It’s 1 percent shy of the 2008 record. Mortgages still make up the largest amount of that debt. But it’s a trillion dollars less than it was a decade ago. Student loan debt though? That’s increased 170 percent in 10 years as more people go to school and as higher education gets more expensive. That could hurt the ability of those students to do things like buy a home later in life. And there are some signs that may already be happening. 

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