American Debt: Increase for Credit Card Balances in Q1 2024

Consumer debt continues to accelerate at an alarming rate—particularly credit card debt—driven by a culture of consumption. Credit card debt is one of the most worrisome due to the high interest rates charged by credit card companies, which can leave consumers with never-ending debt loads. A large part of this can be attributed to the surging prices as inflation has dramatically risen across the globe due to supply-chain issues from the pandemic and the war in Ukraine.

Credit Card Debt: The Basics

Credit card debt is generally an unsecured form of debt that the vast majority of consumers hold. It involves qualifying and applying for a revolving credit line through a lender, usually a bank or other financial institution. Lenders grant a card with a specific credit limit based on a consumer's credit rating, credit history, financial situation, as well as their relationship with the customer. Balances and payment history are reported regularly to the main three reporting agencies.

Customers can choose to pay their balances off in full every month. For those who don't, they must carry the unpaid balance month-to-month. This means they pay interest on the outstanding amount they owe. The rate charged by the lender is referred to as the annual percentage rate (APR), which is based on their credit history. And because they have a revolving limit, cardholders are able to reuse their credit after making payments to their cards.

Snapshot of American Credit Card Debt

The Federal Reserve Bank of New York issues regular reports on the status of household debt across the United States. These reports are generated every quarter and are based on data collected from Equifax, which is one of the three major credit reporting agencies in the country. This data is drawn from a random national sampling taken from Equifax.

The report showed that household debt reached $17.69 trillion during the first quarter of 2024, which is an increase of $184 billion from the previous quarter. Total household debt includes mortgages, home equity lines of credit (HELOCs), student loans, auto loans, other, and credit cards.

Credit limits for credit cards increased to almost $5 trillion in Q1 2024. Delinquency rates increased, with nearly 9% of credit card balances transitioning into delinquency.

The Debt Profile

The changes in American credit card debt—from balances to new issuances and delinquencies—are largely due to the global COVID-19 pandemic, which includes the fading effects of relief programs that helped consumers during the pandemic and the rising prices caused by supply-chain issues from it. Inflation dramatically increased in 2021 and continued through 2023.

People curbed spending during the pandemic because of lockdowns, business shutdowns, and social distancing guidelines. One of the main factors that contributed to the drop in late payments and delinquencies was the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES).

It provided a series of initiatives to help consumers and businesses, including loans and grants for small businesses and an expansion of unemployment benefits for those who were furloughed from their jobs. Many lenders also allowed payment deferrals on certain credit products. The government also provided stimulus checks to help alleviate the financial burden for consumers.

Now that the pandemic has receded and these government programs have stopped, consumers are back to relying on debt to fund their lives. In addition, the supply-chain issues that arose from the pandemic have resulted in surging inflation, which has significantly increased the costs for consumers for basic items, such as food.

Problems With Credit Card Debt

Credit card balances can become a problem the next time a recession hits. Consumers who normally pay their balances in full may start making smaller payments. Households that normally make minimum payments or slightly more than that may stop paying altogether, leading to a rise in delinquency rates.

Seriously delinquent balances matter because lenders may never collect a penny on them. Then, as lenders lose money, consumers experience lower credit limits and tighter standards to get a credit card. If you were using credit during the Great Recession, you know all too well how this process works.

The rising interest rate environment also hurts borrowers and can continue to do so. The Fed raised interest rates from 2022 to 2023 with the goal of clamping down on the surging inflation. Rates have remained at these elevated levels as of Q1 2024. This hurts borrowers who carry balances from one month to the next as the rates they incur to do so are higher.

Other Household Debt

But what about other types of debt? As mentioned above, household debt increased by $184 billion during the first quarter of 2024. Research shows that as of Q1 2024:

• HELOC balances increased by $16 billion to $376 billion.
• Automobile debt increased by $9 billion to $1.62 trillion.
• Mortgage debt increased by $190 billion to $12.44 trillion.
• Student loan debt decreased by $6 billion to $1.60 trillion.

Approximately 44,000 borrowers had foreclosure notations on their credit reports, a little more from the previous quarter.

Student loan debt decreased in the first quarter by a small amount, remaining around $1.6 trillion. Missed federal student loan payments will not be reported till Q4 2024.

The Bottom Line

As relief and forbearance from government programs have receded, consumers have turned back to debt to manage spending and expenses. Rising prices across the board have further spurred debt usage, with household debt increasing in almost every category, particularly credit card debt.

The Fed has taken measures to reign in rising prices by increasing interest rates, which only makes borrowing more expensive. The government, in addition, has taken steps to help alleviate the debt burden by allowing for student loan debt cancellation for some borrowers.