Credit Card Balances Surpass $1 Trillion Mark; Growing Debt Endangers Financial Security

Credit card debt poses a significant obstacle to Americans' ability to save money.

PUBLISHED MAR 7, 2024

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In the fourth quarter of 2023, credit card balances surged to unprecedented levels, crossing the $1 trillion mark, reports TransUnion. This increase marked a 13% rise from the previous year, encompassing all risk tiers, with subprime balances soaring by 32% to $105 billion. Despite soaring interest rates, the average balance reached $6,360.

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The Federal Reserve's consecutive interest rate hikes aimed at curbing inflation to a 2% target rate have led to a steep rise in credit card interest rates, surpassing 27%.

Simultaneously, Americans witnessed a surge in unsecured personal loan balances, totaling over $245 billion in the fourth quarter. This increase occurred despite a slight dip in loan originations, attributed to lenders tightening borrowing criteria. TransUnion's Vice President of U.S. Research and Consulting, Michele Raneri, suggests that expected Fed interest rate cuts in 2024 may prompt consumers with elevated card balances to seek refinancing options to lower their monthly payments.

"Consumers should know their credit scores and work to improve them where possible. This will ensure they are as well-positioned as they can be to take advantage of those lower rates if the opportunity arises," she added.

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The decline in bank card originations to 20.1 million from the previous year's 21.6 million, as reported by TransUnion, contrasts with an increase in the average new account credit line to nearly $5,700. Most originations were among borrowers in the super prime risk tier, with Millennials leading the charge, accounting for almost 30% of originations.

"A pullback in non-prime issuance was a primary driver in the (year-over-year) decline in (third quarter) 2023 originations and breaks the historical seasonal pattern," said Paul Siegfried, TransUnion senior vice president and credit card business leader.

"While delinquencies in Q4 2023 were elevated, they were in line with the expected forecasts given historic non-prime originations and balanced growth. We will be carefully watching to see if typical seasonal patterns will return based on liquidity events such as tax returns and annual wage growth,"

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Despite these trends, consumers' growing debt burdens pose challenges to savings goals and financial security. According to a Quicken survey, over half of middle-class and younger Americans admit their current savings wouldn't last over three months if they lost their income source.

Financial experts, on the other hand, recommend maintaining three to six months' worth of living expenses in emergency savings, but inflation and rising costs have made this goal difficult to achieve.

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Inflation and rising costs remain top financial concerns for over 50% of respondents, impacting Americans across various income brackets. Even those with household incomes between $50,000 and $99,999 cite inflation as their primary financial worry.

As inflation erodes purchasing power and increases the cost of living, many Americans struggle to build emergency savings, underscoring the need for effective financial planning and debt management strategies in an increasingly uncertain economic environment.