35-to-49-year-old borrowers owed the most on average in terms of total debt, at $613 billion in Q2 '21, while the 62-and-older group, at $92.7 billion, owed the least during this same period. California had the highest student loan debt balances in total and across all age groups.
Not surprisingly, the 18-to-29 age group accounted for 34% of that debt, according to the Department of Education. But the highest average belonged to 35-year-olds who took out loans.
Gen X — Average debt: $140,643
With ages ranging from 41 to 56, Gen Xers have a wide range of life experiences, along with the highest average debt of any generation. Many members of Gen X are sending their kids to college for the first time, while still carrying an average student loan balance of just over $45,000.
A good goal is to be debt-free by retirement age, either 65 or earlier if you want. If you have other goals, such as taking a sabbatical or starting a business, you should make sure that your debt isn't going to hold you back.
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau recommends you keep your debt-to-income ratio below 43%. Statistically speaking, people with debts exceeding 43 percent often have trouble making their monthly payments. The highest ratio you can have and still be able to obtain a qualified mortgage is also 43 percent.
Even though household net worth is on the rise in America (at $141 trillion in the summer of 2021)—so is debt. The total personal debt in the U.S. is at an all-time high of $14.96 trillion. The average American debt (per U.S. adult) is $58,604 and 77% of American households have at least some type of debt.
Members of Generation X have the highest average credit card debt at $7,155, followed by baby boomers and millennials, according to credit bureau Experian's latest consumer findings.
Federal borrowers aged 25 to 34 owe an average debt of $33,570. Debt among 25- to 34-year-olds has increased 6.1% since 2017. 35- to 49-year-olds owe an average federal debt of $43,208.
Since they are now the country's largest generation—83.1 million people, according to the US Census Bureau—the millennial debt crisis is a national issue. Millennials are the most indebted generation in history. A quarter of all US citizens aged 18 to 34 owe more than $30,000.
Millennials are the generation with the fastest growing debt. ... According to the Experian 2020 State of Credit report, the average millennial consumer has about $27,251 in non-mortgage debt, and millennial homeowners have an average mortgage balance of $232,372.
Boomers are most burdened by credit-card debt, which an average of 81.4% of boomer consumers are dealing with. That's more than any other generation, and they also carry the highest overall median balance of $3,958.
35—49 year olds = $135,841
Primarily because of home mortgages, older millennials in this generation maintain a higher average debt, according to Experian. Credit card debt is the next main source of debt, followed by education and auto loans.
New Experian data finds consumers in their 20s and 30s have up to $27,251 in credit card, auto loans and student loan debt. Debt is part of the average American's life, and you can start to accumulate it as young as your 20s.
Is being debt-free the new rich? Yes, as long as you have money and assets, in addition to no debts. Living loan-free is a fantastic way to stay financially secure, and it is possible for anyone.
The United States has the largest external debt in the world; as of 2017, its debt-to-GDP ratio was ranked 43rd out of 207 countries and territories. The total number of U.S. Treasury securities held by foreign countries in June 2020 was $7.04 trillion, up from $6.63 trillion in June 2019.
He is ... the most indebted man in the world. Jérôme Kerviel is learning one of life's harsher lessons: It stinks to be $6.3 billion in debt.
When a lender or landlord reviews your credit, it might use one of two credit scoring models: VantageScore or FICO. Both scoring models range from 300 to 850. And according to a July 2021 VantageScore report, the average credit score in America is 697.
American families are more in debt than ever before, totaling $15.24 trillion. American households are carrying record amounts of debt as home and auto prices surge, Covid infections continue to fall and people get out their credit cards again.
That means most American adults either carry a mortgage, owe on a car, face monthly student loan payments, roll over charges on their credit cards—or all of the above. And yet, over half of Americans surveyed (53%) say that debt reduction is a top priority—while nearly a quarter (23%) say they have no debt.
If you're carrying serious credit card debt — like $15,000 or more — you're not alone. The average household with revolving credit card debt — that is, debt that they carry from one month to the next — had more than $7,000 worth of revolving balances in 2019. That's just the average.
Bottom line, if your credit card debt is only a little over $2,000, don't worry about it. I'm sure you'll get sick somewhere along the line and owing $2,000 will seem quaint.
The federal net debt rose by $253.4 billion in 2020 to reach $942.5 billion or 42.7% of GDP, compared with 29.8% in 2019.