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As much as this makes a scary headline, credit card debt is almost exactly in line with wages. From January 2020 to today credit card debt grew 11%.[1] Over the
by dcolkitt 4y ago
As much as this makes a scary headline, credit card debt is almost exactly in line with wages. From January 2020 to today credit card debt grew 11%.[1] Over the same period nominal wages grew by 16%[2].
So if anything the current US consumers have a healthier ability to service their credit card debt than the already healthy numbers pre-pandemic. This is corroborated by the credit card delinquency rate which is still lower than any single year in pre-pandemic history[3]
Scare headlines like this are good for generating clicks, but ignore the basic reality. Most years credit card debt will hit a new record, because most years total GDP and consumer spending increases.
[1]https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/CCLACBW027SBOG https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/CCLACBW027SBOG
[2]https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/CES0500000003 https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/CES0500000003
[3]https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/DRCCLACBS https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/DRCCLACBS