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Credit Card Debt Among Retirees Jumps

Posted on November 19, 2024by Admin

While credit card interest rates are at an all-time high, the amount of retirees with credit card debt has increased substantially.

About 68% of retirees had outstanding credit card debt in 2024, up from 40% in 2022 and 43% in 2020, according to a new poll by the Employee Benefit Research Institute.

This is a worrisome financial trend, since many retirees are on a fixed income. About 2 in 5 cardholders have maxed out or nearly hit their card limit since early 2022, resulting from inflation and higher interest rates, according to a recent Bankrate poll.

There are a few ways retirees can get their credit card debt under control.

Reduce expenses
Boost income
Reduce your interest rate

As bankruptcy attorneys, we see credit card debt as one of the most common problems facing those with serious financial challenges.

Filing for bankruptcy is a viable option for those struggling with insurmountable credit card debt. Chapter 7 is the fastest form of consumer bankruptcy and forgives most unsecured debts like credit card debt, medical bills, and personal loans. There are certain qualifications a consumer must meet in regard to income, assets, and expenses to file for Chapter 7 bankruptcy, which is determined by the bankruptcy means test.

Please click here to read more.

If you have questions on this topic or are in financial crisis and considering filing for bankruptcy, contact an experienced Miami bankruptcy attorney who can advise you of all of your options. As an experienced CPA as well as a proven bankruptcy lawyer, Timothy Kingcade knows how to help clients take full advantage of the bankruptcy laws to protect their assets and get successful results. Since 1996 Kingcade Garcia McMaken has been helping people from all walks of life build a better tomorrow. Our attorneys help thousands of people every year take advantage of their rights under bankruptcy protection to restart, rebuild and recover. The day you hire our firm, we will contact your creditors to stop the harassment. You can also find useful consumer information on the Kingcade Garcia McMaken website at www.miamibankruptcy.com.

Credit Card Debt

How Much Credit Card Debt is Too Much?

Posted on November 6, 2024by Admin

Surging inflation has left millions of Americans relying on credit cards to cover basic necessities, resulting in a sharp increase in defaults. Consumers owe a collective $1.14 trillion on their credit cards, according to the Federal Reserve.

While each consumer’s financial situation is different, there are ways to determine if your credit card debt is too high. Consider your answers to the following questions:

Is your credit card debt impacting your financial and emotional health? Carrying large amounts of credit card debt can damage your credit score and cause you to experience financial and emotional stress. A good rule of thumb is to ensure your monthly payments are not more than 10 percent of your monthly income.
Are you paying only the minimum? Credit cards typically have low monthly minimum payments, but that doesn’t mean they are affordable just because you can cover that amount. If you are only able to make the minimum payment, that can be a sign you have too much credit card debt.
Is your credit card debt impacting your credit score? Credit cards can help your credit score- or hurt it, depending on how you use them. It is recommended that you keep your credit utilization below 30 percent. Having significant credit card debt can have a negative impact on your credit score. This can make other debts, like your mortgage and car payments more expensive.

As bankruptcy attorneys, we see credit card debt as one of the most common problems facing those with serious financial challenges.

Please click here to read more.

What To Know Before Closing a Credit Card with a Balance

Posted on October 29, 2024by Admin

While you can close a credit card with a balance, there are a few things you should keep in mind. At $17.69 trillion in the first quarter of 2024, United States consumer credit card debt is at its highest level ever recorded by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. Per household, that totals to about $10,848.

It can be tempting to want to close these cards out, and for good reason. But doing so may not lead to what you expect- especially if you have had the card for a long time. By closing the credit card, you are skewing your credit utilization ratio.

Credit history encompasses 15% of your credit score. Closing a credit card means you lose that credit limit. In addition, you are at risk of accruing additional fees if the minimum payment you can afford is smaller than the interest added each month.

Another common mistake credit card users make when closing out their account is not verifying whether their account is closed. Without written confirmation, the cardholder may continue accumulating fees and penalties, unknowingly.

Neglecting any residual balance repayment after the card is closed can lead to an increase in debt. Paying close attention to those payments is essential, even if you have decided to close the account.

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Credit Card Debt

JPMorgan Chase, Wells Fargo, and Bank of America Lose $5,000,000,000 as Credit Card Delinquencies Surge

Posted on October 16, 2024by Admin

US banks are unloading billions of dollars in bad debt that they have given up on collecting, according to new numbers from the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC).

In its new Quarterly Banking Profile report, the FDIC says US banks reported $21.3 billion in net charge-offs in the second quarter of the year, due largely to credit card delinquencies and commercial real estate loans going bad.

This is the highest quarterly net charge-off rate since the second quarter of 2013 and 20 basis points higher than the same period last year. The main culprit: consumers struggling with higher interest rates and inflation.

The new numbers come as JPMorgan Chase, Wells Fargo and Bank of America individually disclose billions of dollars in collective net charge-offs in Q2.

JPMorgan Chase reports its net charge-offs reached $2.2 billion in Q2, up from $1.4 billion in Q2 of last year.
Wells Fargo reports its net charge-offs surged to $1.3 billion last quarter, up from $764 million one year ago.
Bank of America reports its net charge-offs hit $1.5 billion, up from $900 million year-over-year.

The FDIC says the total charge-off rate for US banks is now higher than the pre-pandemic average.

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Consumer Debt, Credit Card Debt

Consumer Credit Card Debt Reaches an All-Time High of $1.14 Trillion

Posted on August 15, 2024by Admin

Consumers are carrying more debt than ever before on their credit cards, according to a new report from the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. Outstanding credit card balances in the U.S. have reached $1.14 trillion.

Credit card balances grew by $27 billion over the first three months of 2024, according to the report, and are up 5.8% over last year. Delinquency rates also increased for credit card holders with 9.1% of card holders now in default on their outstanding balances.

Earlier this week, new data released by Bankrate showed that 50% of U.S. credit card users are carrying a balance on their accounts, up from 44% in January. This is a rate not seen since the early days of the pandemic.

The average credit card interest rate now stands at 24.84%, according to Lending Tree. An individual’s credit score can have a significant impact on the rates charged by card issuers. For example, an applicant with exceptionally good credit can expect an average APR of 21.41% while someone with a poor credit history will see an average APR offer of 28.28%.

As bankruptcy attorneys, we see credit card debt as one of the most common problems facing those with serious financial challenges. It is not surprising with the high interest rates, unreasonable fees, harassing debt collection calls, penalties and never-ending minimum payments that don’t even seem to make a dent.

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Credit, Credit Card Debt

Banks Prepare for Consumers to Stop Paying Off Their Credit Cards

Posted on July 26, 2024by Admin

Big banks, like JPMorgan Chase, Bank of America, Wells Fargo and Citigroup are preparing to face more risk when it comes to their lending practices. With interest rates sitting at a two-decade high and inflation rates rising, these banks have raised their provisions for credit losses from the previous quarter.

These provisions are the money that financial institutions set aside to cover any potential losses from credit risk, including delinquent or bad debt and lending, like commercial real estate (CRE) loans.

JPMorgan built up $3.05 billion in provision for credit losses in the second quarter; Bank of America had $1.5 billion in stores; Citi’s allowance for credit losses totaled $21.8 billion at the quarter’s end, more than tripling its credit reserve built from the prior quarter; and Wells Fargo had provisions of $1.24 billion.

A recent analysis by the New York Fed found that Americans owe a collective $17.7 trillion on consumer loans, student loans and mortgages. Credit card balances totaled $1.02 trillion in the first quarter of the year.

Credit card issuance and, subsequently, delinquency rates are also on the rise.

With rents up more than 30% nationwide (between 2019 and 2023) and grocery costs rising 25% in that same period, renters who did not lock in low rates and are struggling with rental prices that have exceeded wage growth are seeing the most stress in their monthly budget.

A recent survey found that 48% of Americans depend on credit cards to cover essential living expenses. As consumer’s pre-pandemic savings dwindle down, the reliance on credit for necessities, such as gas and groceries, has become the norm for many.

Click here to read more.

If you have any questions on this topic or are in financial crisis and considering filing for bankruptcy, contact an experienced Miami bankruptcy attorney who can advise you of all of your options. As an experienced CPA as well as a proven bankruptcy lawyer, Timothy Kingcade knows how to help clients take full advantage of the bankruptcy laws to protect their assets and get successful results. Since 1996 Kingcade & Garcia, P.A. has been helping people from all walks of life build a better tomorrow. Our attorneys help thousands of people every year take advantage of their rights under bankruptcy protection to restart, rebuild and recover. The day you hire our firm, we will contact your creditors to stop the harassment. You can also find useful consumer information on the Kingcade & Garcia website at www.miamibankruptcy.com.

Credit Card Debt

How is Credit Card Debt Handled in Bankruptcy?

Posted on April 16, 2024by Admin

Credit card debt is treated as an unsecured debt in bankruptcy. Unsecured debt is debt that is not secured by any collateral. For example, a mortgage would be a secured debt guaranteed by your home; an auto loan would be a secured debt guaranteed by your car. Unsecured debts, like credit cards, medical bills, and personal loans can be easily discharged in bankruptcy.

Most consumer bankruptcy cases do not include any assets, and there is no property that can be liquidated to pay off creditors. Any funds from liquidated assets are paid to creditors based on priority. Credit card companies and other unsecured creditors are usually last on the list.

If you file Chapter 13 bankruptcy, your repayment plan will be approved if it repays most or all your creditors over a three-to-five-year period. But that doesn’t mean all creditors will be repaid, some not at all. Creditors are repaid according to priority in Chapter 13.

As bankruptcy attorneys, we see credit card debt as one of the most common problems facing those with serious financial challenges. Filing for bankruptcy is a viable option for those struggling with insurmountable credit card debt. Chapter 7 is the fastest form of consumer bankruptcy and forgives most unsecured debts like credit card debt, medical bills, and personal loans. There are certain qualifications a consumer must meet regarding income, assets, and expenses to file for Chapter 7 bankruptcy, which is determined by the bankruptcy means test.

SOURCE: Credit Card Debt Under Bankruptcy Law | Bankruptcy Law Center | Justia

Credit Card Debt

Credit Card Delinquencies Exceed Pre-Pandemic Levels

Posted on March 4, 2024by Admin

Americans owe a whopping $1.13 trillion on their credit cards. The total increased by 4.6% in the third quarter of 2023. When it comes to credit card debt, consumers are maxed out.

All stages of credit card delinquency (30, 60 and 90 days past due) jumped during the third quarter of last year, surpassing pre-pandemic levels for the first time, according to a recent report by the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia.

This means a number of consumers are revolving all or part of their credit card balance every month. As of the third quarter, 33.18% of accounts paid off their balance in full. That’s the lowest share since the fourth quarter of 2020, Philadelphia Fed data show.

A nearly three-year stretch of high inflation has sent consumer debt into overdrive. Towards the end of last year, outstanding credit card balances surpassed the $5 trillion mark for the first time, according to Federal data. These rising delinquencies are becoming painfully expensive for many consumers. Interest rates are the highest they have been in two decades.

SOURCE: Credit Card Delinquencies Surpass Pre-Pandemic Levels – CNN (January 11, 2024)

Credit Card Debt

Cities with the Most Credit Card Debt

Posted on February 13, 2024by Admin

The average person has more than four different credit cards in their wallet, according to WalletHub’s proprietary data. People in some cities have more cards than others. The average in the top cities being over six cards per person. To determine the cities where credit card ownership is increasing the most, WalletHub analyzed the latest consumer-finance data across four key metrics. These metrics measured the average number of credit cards owned per person and average number of new cards opened per person in Q4 2023, as well as the percent change in both of those numbers from Q4 2022.

In total, Americans have over $1.2 trillion in credit card debt as of Sept. 30, 2023. Miami ranked No. 1, with an estimated payoff time of nearly 111 months — over nine years on average. Some of the reasons for the enormous timeline are the city’s high median credit card debt ($3,106) and relatively low median earnings for workers ($38,823), researchers explain. Several other Florida cities ranked near the top of the list for the least sustainable credit card debt, including Port St. Lucie (No. 4), Cape Coral (No. 5) and Tallahassee (No. 10).

If a person is struggling with credit card debt and is unsure of which route to take, it is always best to consult a legal professional to discuss his or her options. An attorney can look at the person’s situation and can advise him or her on whether bankruptcy is appropriate or whether other options are best.

Click here to read more.

Sources:

Cities with the Most Credit Cards (wallethub.com)

Cities with the least sustainable credit card debt (wallethub.com)

Credit Card Debt, Debt Settlement

Why Debt Settlement Is the Wrong Way to Go When Dealing with High Credit Card Debt

Posted on January 16, 2024by Admin

When someone is struggling with high credit card debt, it can be easy to take any offer that promises to eliminate that debt. This is why so many debt settlement companies exist. These companies are often referred to as “debt relief” or “debt adjusting” companies, and their claim is they can negotiate directly with the consumer’s creditors to reduce the amount he or she owes. However, when it comes to dealing with high credit card debt, working with a debt settlement company is not always the best plan.

During the debt settlement process, the consumer will stop making payments on his or her credit card debt in hopes that his or her creditors will settle for less than what is owed and will negotiate with the debt settlement company. The problem is, creditors are not bound to work with the debt settlement company, and this process can often take years to complete.