Credit Card Debt Trends
In Q4 2021, the average credit cardholder in the U.S. had $5,934 in credit card debt in Q4 2021 — about 0.6% less than Q4 2020's $5,968 average. During this same period, Americans opened 26 million more credit card accounts.
The average American has $90,460 in debt, according to a 2021 CNBC report. That included all types of consumer debt products, from credit cards to personal loans, mortgages and student debt.
On average, Americans carry $6,194 in credit card debt, according to the 2019 Experian Consumer Credit Review. And Alaskans have the highest credit card balance, on average $8,026.
A Credit Karma Study
According to our May 25, 2022, report of 73 million Credit Karma members with credit cards, Credit Karma members held more than $374 billion in credit card debt across more than 311 million open accounts. Average credit card debt by member was $6,198.
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. And that percentage may rise.
How much money does the average American owe? According to a 2020 Experian study, the average American carries $92,727 in consumer debt. Consumer debt includes a variety of personal credit accounts, such as credit cards, auto loans, mortgages, personal loans, and student loans.
The average debt for individual consumers dropped from $6,194 in 2019 to $5,315 in 2020. In fact, the average balance declined in every state.
And according to data from the 2019 Survey of Consumer Finances by the US Federal Reserve, the most recent year for which they polled participants, Americans have a weighted average savings account balance of $41,600 which includes checking, savings, money market and prepaid debit cards, while the median was only ...
So how much non-mortgage debt do Americans have? According to Northwestern Mutual's 2021 Planning & Progress Study, U.S. adults aged 18 and over who carry debt hold an average of $23,325 outside of their mortgages.
Kevin O'Leary, an investor on “Shark Tank” and personal finance author, said in 2018 that the ideal age to be debt-free is 45. It's at this age, said O'Leary, that you enter the last half of your career and should therefore ramp up your retirement savings in order to ensure a comfortable life in your elderly years.
If your total balance is more than 30% of the total credit limit, you may be in too much debt. Some experts consider it best to keep credit utilization between 1% and 10%, while anything between 11% and 30% is typically considered good.
While the average American has $90,460 in debt, this includes all types of consumer debt products, from credit cards to personal loans, mortgages and student debt.
The average credit card debt for 30 year olds is roughly $4,200, according to the Experian data report.
Highlights: Credit scores are three-digit numbers that show an important piece of your financial history. Credit scores help lenders decide whether to grant you credit. The average credit score in the United States is 698, based on VantageScore® data from February 2021.
In 2021, Americans had an average personal savings balance of $73,100, according to Northwestern Mutual's Planning & Progress Study.
American households had a median balance of $5,300 and an average balance of $41,600 in their transaction bank accounts in 2019, according to data collected by the Federal Reserve. Transaction accounts include savings accounts as well as checking, money market and call accounts and prepaid debit cards.
The ongoing economic effects of the Covid-19 pandemic have taken a bite out of Americans' savings. The average amount of personal savings dropped 15% from $73,100 in 2021 to $62,086 in 2022, according to Northwestern Mutual's recent 2022 Planning & Progress study.
According to the Federal Reserve, only 45% of U.S. cardholders pay their card balance every month. Here's a closer look at the card payment numbers from the Fed: 45% always pay their card balance in full each month.
Mortgages are the largest debt owned by many Americans, but paying them off before reaching retirement age isn't feasible for everyone. In fact, across the country, nearly 10 million homeowners who are still paying off their mortgage are 65 and older.
Generally speaking, a good debt-to-income ratio is anything less than or equal to 36%. Meanwhile, any ratio above 43% is considered too high.
Compared to 2021 standards, respondents to the 2020 survey described the threshold for wealth as being a net worth of $2.6 million.
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. While there are a couple of downsides to being debt-free, they are minimal.
Our recommendation is to prioritize paying down significant debt while making small contributions to your savings. Once you've paid off your debt, you can then more aggressively build your savings by contributing the full amount you were previously paying each month toward debt.