People who see increased wealth through the stock market are putting less of their income aside. Others are dealing with higher prices and simply aren’t able to save as much.
New delinquencies have largely stabilized after a big spike a couple of years ago, but lots of people are still carrying around old credit card debt they fell behind on.
According to a report from credit bureau TransUnion, the number of credit cards issued increased nearly 12% in the first quarter of 2026 compared to a year before.
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Retail spending rose by 1.7% from February to March. Experts said people are spending their tax refunds and increasingly turning to credit — even for groceries.