Credit Card Debt news and trends

Credit Card Delinquencies Slip as Charge-Offs Keep Rising
Credit Cards // March 25, 2024

Credit card delinquencies fell slightly last month while net charge-offs continued with their upward trajectory. That’s according to a report Monday (March 25) by Seeking Alpha, citing data from eight lenders. It showed that the average delinquency rate of 3.20% rose from 3.24% in January and 2.59%...

CFPB Takes Aim at Consumer Credit Card Rates 
Credit Cards // February 16, 2024

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) aims to boost competition in the credit card industry to deliver lower rates to consumers. The agency announced this plan while releasing data showing that consumers with credit cards from the 25 largest issuers faced higher interest rates, regardless...

New York Imposes New Limits on Credit Card Surcharges
Credit Cards // February 11, 2024

New York state has begun requiring merchants to provide greater transparency about credit card fees. A state law that went into effect Sunday (Feb. 11) limits credit card surcharges to the amount charged to the business by the card company. In addition, the law requires businesses to...

Capital One Sees Positives in Consumer Segments Despite Charge-Off Challenges
Earnings // January 25, 2024

Card delinquencies and charge-offs offer evidence of consumers struggling to meet their financial obligations. And credit card balances and delinquencies have been rising as consumer spending remains strong, but government support is dropping from pandemic levels, with all stages of delinquency approaching their highest levels of...

Interviews & Exclusives
Nearly Half of Consumers Who Tried to Increase Their Credit Scores Did

October 24, 2023
Consumers across income levels, credit scores and generations have accumulated high levels of debt. In fact, credit card debt recently surpassed $1 trillion for the first time. With this backdrop, high credit scores are pivotal to accessing credit and maintaining purchasing power. Consumers can improve their credit scores through different avenues, such as via credit-builder […]

Savings Barely Covers Credit Card Debt for Paycheck-to-Paycheck Consumers

March 06, 2023
PYMNTS research shows that many consumers’ savings are barely enough to cover their debts. That’s according to findings in the February 2023 edition of the “New Reality Check: The Paycheck-to-Paycheck...

In Search Of Consumer Spending’s New Normal

February 05, 2020
If pre-season estimates were correct, this holiday season was worth $1 trillion in the United States alone. And even if it doesn’t quite make it over the trillion-dollar milestone, consumer spending...

CFPB Releases Its Consumer Credit Report Card

December 28, 2017
December 2017 is something of an anniversary for Americans – though one they probably don’t like to celebrate. Exactly one decade ago, the Great Recession officially began with the bursting of...

Quick Reads
Credit Card Delinquencies Slip as Charge-Offs Keep Rising

March 25, 2024
Credit card delinquencies fell slightly last month while net charge-offs continued with their upward trajectory. That’s according to a report Monday (March 25) by Seeking Alpha, citing data from eight lenders. It showed that the average delinquency rate of 3.20% rose from 3.24% in January and 2.59% in February of last year. The average figure has risen […]

CFPB Takes Aim at Consumer Credit Card Rates 

February 16, 2024
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) aims to boost competition in the credit card industry to deliver lower rates to consumers. The agency announced this plan while releasing data showing...

New York Imposes New Limits on Credit Card Surcharges

February 11, 2024
New York state has begun requiring merchants to provide greater transparency about credit card fees. A state law that went into effect Sunday (Feb. 11) limits credit card surcharges to the amount...

Jump in Bad Loans Threatens Big Banks’ Earnings

January 08, 2024
The specter of an increase in bad debt hangs over America’s largest lenders. Banks such as JPMorgan Chase and Wells Fargo will release their earnings in the coming days, and...