The conventional wisdom is that consumers in the United States, burdened by debt, are trapped in a cycle of using credit to get what they need, and then juggling their debt, grappling with monthly payments. But data and commentary from earnings season thus far indicate...
Among the varying financial behaviors observed across generations, baby boomers stand out as the sole demographic where proactive financial planners constitute a majority, marking a distinct approach to managing personal finance. The PYMNTS Intelligence report “The Two Money Mindsets Shaping How Consumers Manage Their Finances,”...
U.S. household debt increased by $185 billion in Q2 2025, reaching a record $18.39 trillion, according to the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. Mortgage balances led the rise, growing by $131 billion to $12.94 trillion as housing activity remained stable despite affordability concerns. Auto...
On Wednesday (July 30), PYMNTS CEO Karen Webster wrote: “The most important credential that has emerged for enabling payment and purchase flexibility is not a new type of credit card. It’s the debit card.” Debit has been a key choice for using the funds on hand...
For decades, homeownership has stood as the bedrock of the American dream — a symbol of prosperity, stability, and upward mobility. But for millions of U.S. households in 2025, that dream is rapidly transforming into a source of financial fragility. Data from the latest PYMNTS...
More Americans than ever are contributing to — and withdrawing from — their 401(k)s. In 2024, a record 4.8% of workers with these retirement plans took a hardship distribution for financial emergencies, The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported Saturday (July 26), citing data from Vanguard...
Watch more: Bringing Commerce Into the Conversation The invisible line separating communication from commerce is dissolving. Messaging platforms are no longer merely for social interaction but have become a fertile frontier for payments and deeply integrated customer engagement. Nick Babinsky, Chief Product Officer of Solutions...
Earnings season has just begun, and financial firms have been weighing in on the state of consumer spending and whether consumers are meeting their debt burdens in the midst of stubborn inflation and a rocky macroeconomic environment. Thus far, the indications are that consumers, including...
In May, the pace of consumer credit, overall, decelerated. And in one positive sign, credit card balances decreased for the first time in since the end of last year, before the holiday shopping deluge. But the trimming of card balances may be a temporary move,...