Consumers' debt dilemma: Here's what to know

Consumer Debt & Financial Strain - Over half of Americans lack a budget [1] - Two in five Americans carry credit card debt month-to-month [1] - The average credit card balance is approximately $6,500 [1] - Debt level, rather than income level, is a critical factor in financial trouble [2] Deteriorating Debt Management - The percentage of people making credit card payments less than the required minimum rose to 13% in August, a 13% increase from the spring [3] - The percentage of people transferring debt between cards also increased by 13% [3] - The share of borrowers consolidating credit card debt into a personal loan doubled to 8% [4] - More consumers are failing to pay bills on time compared to a year ago [4] - Payments that are more than 90 days late are rising [4] Key Drivers of Financial Strain - A worsening employment environment contributes to late payments [4] - Inflation and sustained high interest rates are key drivers of financial strain [4] - An across-the-board increase in late payments indicates financial strain even among creditworthy borrowers [5]