Credit & Debt
Credit scores, credit reports, debt payoff strategies, student loans, credit card debt, collections, and rebuilding credit. Practical advice for managing and reducing what you owe.
Latest in Credit & Debt
Baby boomers’ debt load grows as credit cards and loans pile up
A 68-year-old who expected to enter retirement debt-free but is instead juggling a credit card balance, an auto loan, and a lingering medical bill is...
Credit card debt holds at a record $1.277 trillion — and consumer revolving credit is now rising faster than inflation
Americans owe a record $1.277 trillion in revolving consumer credit, according to the Federal Reserve’s G.19 statistical release, and the balance has barely budged from...
Record credit card debt tops $1.277 trillion as average APR climbs to 22.13%
If you carry the average American credit card balance, roughly $6,360 according to recent industry estimates, your monthly interest bill now runs about $117 before...
Americans now owe a record $1.277 trillion in credit card debt — and 55% say they’re carrying balances just for essentials
The grocery run goes on the Visa. So does the electric bill, the co-pay at the pediatrician, and the tank of gas to get to...
Credit card debt hits a record $1.277 trillion — and 55% of cardholders say they’re carrying balances just to cover essentials
More than half of American credit cardholders are using credit to cover everyday costs. A 2026 national survey by Debt.com found that 55% of cardholders...
U.S. credit card debt crosses $1.33 trillion — average balance now $6,580 per person
A $6,580 credit card balance can take years to fully pay off when the minimum payment barely covers last month’s interest. That is the situation...
Americans now owe over $1.3 trillion in credit card debt — average balance hits record $6,580
The average American credit card balance has reached $6,580, a record high according to TransUnion’s quarterly credit industry analysis, and total outstanding credit card debt...
The real cost of making minimum payments on $6,580 in credit card debt at 25% APR
Picture this: you owe $6,580 on a credit card charging 25% APR. You pay the minimum every month, never miss a due date, and never...
Americans now owe a record $1.277 trillion in credit card debt: 55% covers essentials like groceries and rent
The credit card statement used to be where vacations and flat-screen TVs showed up. Now it has become where eggs, rent, and the electric bill...
What different credit scores really cost in interest over 90 days
Imagine two people each owe $5,000 on a credit card. Neither makes a purchase. Neither makes a payment. After 90 days, one owes roughly $213...
How to pay off a debt in collections and rebuild your credit score at the same time
Seeing a debt account sent to collections can feel like a financial setback that is hard to recover from. Many consumers assume that their credit...