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Credit card debt is rising. Again.

Feb 20, 2023
Card debt, which fell during the pandemic, is at a record $986 billion, according to the New York Fed. Delinquencies are rising too.
Though expanding credit card debt may represent a return to normal, the "pre-pandemic normal ought to concern Americans," says Aaron Klein at the Brookings Institution.
Franko Lee/AFP via Getty Images

Consumer debt is becoming more of a burden

Feb 7, 2023
Consumer debt levels have been rising. While wage gains have helped people pay off debt, those gains have been slowing down.
The Fed's consumer credit report, due out today, will show whether people are continuing to take on more and more debt.
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Consumer credit is up almost 7% since this time last year

Dec 8, 2022
Credit card balances alone were up 15% in the third quarter. Higher prices for necessities and higher interest rates are contributing factors.
Credit card balances alone were up 15% in the third quarter.
Olivier Douliery/AFP via Getty Images

Black Friday riddle: Consumers are financially stressed, but still spending

Nov 25, 2022
Their debt levels are rising as the holiday shopping season ramps up. It helps that unemployment is low.
Black Friday shoppers take a moment to rest in massage chairs at the Opry Mills mall in Nashville, Tennessee.
Seth Herald/AFP via Getty Images

Using coronavirus relief to pay down credit cards

Aug 6, 2020
Credit card debt was down by $76 billion in the second quarter, the steepest decline in card balances since tracking started.
The changes in household debt in the second quarter were driven by a decline in credit card balances as consumer spending dropped.
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Consumer spending rises, along with consumer debt

Aug 30, 2019
The U.S. Commerce Department delivered new evidence on Friday that the American consumer is helping to fuel economic growth.
Damien Meyer/AFP/Getty Images

U.S. household wealth hits record high

Jun 7, 2019
A new report from the Federal Reserve finds the net worth of American households and nonprofits reached almost $109 trillion.
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Millennials, like Baby Boomers, struggle with lifelong debt

Jan 21, 2019
A recent survey points out that one in 10 millennials thinks they will die in debt. Click the audio player above to hear the full story.
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Household debt is at an all-time high as holiday spending season arrives

Nov 20, 2018
The total debt carried by Americans has reached yet another record high — $13.5 trillion in the last quarter, according to the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. Household debt is now $837 billion higher than its previous peak in 2008. What’s behind rising household debt, and is it something to be concerned about, especially […]

Save more or owe more?

Feb 22, 2018
With wages and incomes up, more Americans say they are saving for a rainy day. But it might be wiser to use the money to pay down debt. Marketplace’s Aaron Schrank explains. Click the audio player above to hear the full story. 

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