However, lower-income households have the highest ratio of credit card debt relative to monthly income. The Federal Reserve conducts the SCF every three years on a cross-sectional sample of U.S. households, surveying them about their demographics and balance sheet, income and other financial characteristics.
Black adults are more than twice as likely than white adults to have student loan debt. The following graph includes federal and private student loan debt among all adults. On average, Black adults in the U.S. also hold higher student loan debt balances than borrowers of other races.
The Gen X debt situation
The cohort also has the largest share of people with debt, nearly 99% carry some type of balance, LendingTree found. Gen Xers led the way in three of the four categories analyzed. The group — between 44 and 59 years old — has the highest median credit card, auto loan and student loan balances.
Gen Z Is the unhappiest generation in America: Report. Jessica Burbank and Amber Duke react to new findings in the world happiness report that a great percentage of the Gen Z population is unhappy.
Myth #1: Wealth Lasts Many Generations
But the truth is, around 70 percent of wealthy families lose their wealth by the second generation. More so, around 90 percent of families lose their wealth by the third generation. There are many reasons wealthy families are likely to lose their wealth over time.
Approximately three-quarters of Black- and White-headed families have debt, but the median debt-to-asset ratio is 50% higher among Black than White families (Copeland, 2020), with Black borrowers less likely to fully repay loans (Brevoort et al., 2021).
Higher percentages of Black (88 percent) and American Indian/Alaska Native (87 percent) students received grants than students who were of Two or more races (79 percent), White (74 percent), and Asian (66 percent).
A large cadre of research now shows that student debt disproportionately burdens Black borrowers. Not only are Black students more likely to borrow, and to need to borrow more, but they struggle much more with paying back their loans.
Running up $50,000 in credit card debt is not impossible. About two million Americans do it every year. Paying off that bill?
Student loan debt
Young people are more likely to have student loan balances: 24.3% of millennials and 20.2% of Gen Z are in student debt, compared to 14.9% of Gen X, 6.1% of boomers and only 1.4% of the silent generation. But among those who have student loan debt, Gen X owes the most, on average.
Women are stereotypically seen as irresponsible spenders, but the data doesn't back this up. According to a 2019 Experian study, men carry more debt than women across nearly all categories, including credit card debt — the study found that men have $125 more in credit card debt than women on average.
The Federal Reserve System was the largest domestic holder of U.S. public debt, with holdings of $5.24 trillion. Debt held by the public represents the amount borrowed by the U.S. Treasury from external lenders via financial markets to fund government operations.
The Standard Route is what credit companies and lenders recommend. If this is the graduate's choice, he or she will be debt free around the age of 58. It will take a total of 36 years to complete. It's a whole lot of time but it's the standard for a lot of people.
According to the Federal Reserve, white households held more than 80% of the nation's assets in 2022.
Black Americans donated a higher percentage of their income to religious congregations and secular causes in 2018 than all other racial groups, except for White Americans. The main findings of this report are based on the Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy's Philanthropy Panel Study (PPS).
Black students take out the most student loan debt for a bachelor's degree, followed by white students. Black bachelor's degree holders have an average of $52,000 in student debt. Eighty-six percent of Black students take out student loans to pay for college, compared to 68 percent of white students.
Japan and China have been the largest foreign holders of US debt for the last two decades. From 2000 to 2023, annual totals are based on data from December, while the 2024 data is updated through April.
Key Drivers of the National Debt. What is causing the growth of our national debt? There are three primary drivers of the overall growth in spending: America's aging population, rising healthcare costs, and rapidly escalating interest costs.
Baby boomers have the highest net worth, averaging $1.6 million per household. Baby boomers have the highest household net worth of any US generation.
According to a 2022 survey, Gen Z talent is more likely than any other generation to leave or consider leaving a job due to inflexible work policies. Fortunately, there are alternatives to increasing connection. Developing robust onboarding practices is one way Gen Z talent can be re-engaged and ultimately retained.
The Gen Z debt situation
The youngest generation in the study has the lowest debt ($16,652) but the vast majority, 97%, still carry a balance. As far as student loans, Gen Zers owe significantly less than other generations, with a median balance of $12,172 — roughly half of what millennials owe for school.