You can have too much debt if your overall balance exceeds 30% of your credit limit. According to some experts, credit usage should be kept between 1% and 10%, whereas anything between 11% and 30% is often seen as good.
If you're carrying a significant balance, like $20,000 in credit card debt, a rate like that could have even more of a detrimental impact on your finances. The longer the balance goes unpaid, the more the interest charges compound, turning what could have been a manageable debt into a hefty financial burden.
Running up $50,000 in credit card debt is not impossible. About two million Americans do it every year. Paying off that bill?
$25,000 felt like an impossible amount of debt
High interest. Carrying over balances with an average of about 19.24% can make paying off debt challenging.
“No matter what your income, $100,000 in debt is a very significant amount. The first step to take is to acknowledge it is a problem and that you need to take action now; it's not going to disappear on its own.”
Here's the average debt balances by age group: Gen Z (ages 18 to 23): $9,593. Millennials (ages 24 to 39): $78,396. Gen X (ages 40 to 55): $135,841.
In a recent NerdWallet survey, 57% of Americans said they were living paycheck to paycheck.
U.S. households average about $6,100 in credit card debt, as inflation and high APRs strain finances. Oct. 8, 2024, at 10:05 a.m.
It will take 47 months to pay off $20,000 with payments of $600 per month, assuming the average credit card APR of around 18%. The time it takes to repay a balance depends on how often you make payments, how big your payments are and what the interest rate charged by the lender is.
For those who can't afford to pay off their credit card balance in full, McClary advises working toward a goal of putting 10% of your income toward this debt each month.
Key takeaways
Debt-to-income ratio is your monthly debt obligations compared to your gross monthly income (before taxes), expressed as a percentage. A good debt-to-income ratio is less than or equal to 36%. Any debt-to-income ratio above 43% is considered to be too much debt.
The average FICO credit score in the US is 717, according to the latest FICO data. The average VantageScore is 701 as of January 2024.
It's a red flag for budgets. Though incomes are up, Americans are putting more on plastic and stretching to pay on time, reinforcing the precarious nature of cash flow.
U.S. consumers carry $6,501 in credit card debt on average, according to Experian data, but if your balance is much higher—say, $20,000 or beyond—you may feel hopeless. Paying off a high credit card balance can be a daunting task, but it is possible.
Yes, federal student loans may be forgiven after 20 years under certain circumstances. But only certain types of loans are eligible for forgiveness, and you must be enrolled in a qualifying repayment plan. You'll also need to stay out of default on your loans.
In general, most debt will fall off your credit report after seven years, but some types of debt can stay for up to 10 years or even indefinitely. Certain types of debt or derogatory marks, such as tax liens and paid medical debt collections, will not typically show up on your credit report.
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 Experian, average total consumer household debt in 2023 is $104,215. That's up 11% from 2020, when average total consumer debt was $92,727.
Though there isn't a one-size-fits-all answer regarding how much debt you should have, there are a few factors to consider. For example, a general rule of thumb is if roughly half of your monthly income is committed to debt payments, there's a good chance you have too much debt.
Assessing loan and credit costs
The Rule of 72 is also helpful in evaluating the impact of compounding interest on debt. A credit card debt with an 18% annual interest rate will double in just four years (72 ÷ 18 = 4).
Debt Forgiveness: This involves working with your creditor (credit card company, bank, etc.) or a judge (in bankruptcy cases) to completely or partially erase your debt. This can happen through hardship programs or special negotiations.