Credit Card Debt

U.S. Debt Levels Are on the Rise as More Americans Fall Behind on Their Credit Cards

American consumers are adding more to their credit card balances and falling behind on current payments, according to data from the Federal Reserve Bank of New York’s latest Quarterly Report on Household Debt and Credit.

According to this report, credit card balances hit a high of $1.08 trillion, increasing $48 billion from the previous quarter and increasing a record $154 billion from the previous year. This year-over-year increase is the largest one seen since the New York Fed began tracking this data back in 1999.

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.

Bankruptcy Law, Credit, Timothy Kingcade Posts

Miami Ranked As One of the Worst Major U.S. Cities for Managing Money

CreditCards.com recently ranked the nation’s cities in terms of money management by comparing credit scores and an index of U.S. Census Bureau data including: average income, education level, unemployment rate and the population ages of the 25 largest cities. According to the report, Miami ranked as one of the worst major cities in the country for managing their money. In fact, Miami came in 22nd. Tampa ranked 23rd on the list with Washington, D.C. at 24th and Baltimore at 25th. Los Angeles was ranked as the best city in the nation at money management, followed by Minneapolis as second and New York as third.

In order to rank the cities, the report focused on which city residents were paying their bills on time, keeping low credit card balances and not “over-applying” for credit, according to CreditCards.com senior industry analyst Matt Schulz. The original theory was that the older, richer and more educated residents would have higher credit scores, however, the data proved that factors such as cost of living, divorce rate and mobility level greatly impacted scores.

For example, although the Washington D.C. residents brought home a larger annual income than most cities, they also carried significantly higher credit card balances than other cities.

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If you 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.