Consumer Debt, Credit Card Debt

How to Pay Down Credit Card Balances with High Interest Rates

Credit card debt has traditionally been one of the more difficult consumer debts to conquer. This is in large part because most credit card balances come with significantly high interest rates. The larger a consumer’s balance gets, the more difficult it can be to tackle the debt. While paying down credit card debt can be a challenge, however, it is not impossible. It takes proper planning and discipline but paying down a credit card balance on a card with high interest rates is possible.

According to LendingTree, the average annual percentage rate on a new credit card is over 20 percent, and rates only seem to be increasing over time, especially as the cost of living continues to rise.  This trend presents a major problem for American consumers with high credit card balances. In fact, according to reports from the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, credit card balances reached a high of $841 billion in the first quarter of 2022.

Consumer Debt, Consumer News

Survey Shows 1 in 5 Workers Run Out of Money Before Payday

As the cost of living rises and inflation is at an all-time high, many American households have been pushed to the brink. According to a recent study from Salary Finance, 1 in 5 workers cannot make it from paycheck to paycheck.

As the cost of living continues to rise, many Americans are finding themselves struggling to make ends meet.  According to Salary Finance, approximately 20 percent of employees run out of money before their next paycheck. This is up five percent from the previous year.

Consumer Debt, Credit Card Debt

Consumer Debt Reaches a Record-Breaking $15.6 Trillion

Consumer debt hit an all-time high at the end of 2021, reaching a total of $15.6 trillion. According to figures from the Federal Reserve New York district, this figure represents a year-over-year increase of $333 billion during the fourth quarter of 2021, as well as a $1 trillion increase for the entire year.

This quarterly consumer debt increase is the largest one seen since 2007. Looking at it from an annual perspective, this increase is the largest one since 2003.