The Hidden Cost Of Increasing Average American Credit Card Debt
On a seemingly daily basis, the amount of debt that the average American owes on their credit cards is increasing. The entire financial world, not just the credit card market, is being affected by this trend. Mortgages, school loans, car loans, bankruptcies, and foreclosures are all affected by the average rate of credit card debt.
Credit card debt consolidation and other even more extreme methods that people turn to in order to eliminate their credit card debt have become more popular as the average credit card debt has gone up. Consider the actual statistics on credit card debt in America to see if the situation is really all that serious.
The Statistics on Average American Credit Card Debt
Here are some of the statistics. The average American credit card is carrying a balance right now of about $1,000. If the cardholder pays nothing more than their minimum two percent payment on that balance each month, they will have finally paid off the entire balance after twenty two long years. During that time, the interest charged to the account will reach $2,300.
On a national level, the average American household currently owes $8,500 in credit card debt. Individuals who have at least one credit card currently average more than $9,000 in debt. These statistics indicate that, since the year 1990, the average amount of debt that Americans owe on their credit cards has increased by 300%.
What about statistics on just interest rates? The average American who has a credit card pays over $1,200 annually in nothing more than interest charges.
That is more than most mortgage payments and rents for a single month. Worried about making the mortgage, this may give you pause for thought.
On average, the interest rate for credit cards is 18.9% and it is going up. Some cards have introduction rates of as high as 23% and as much as 30% for those with damaged credit. 50% of Americans would never tell a friend how much they own in credit card debt, 23% have maxed their cards, 13% are late 30 days on payments within the last 12 months, and 11% admit their cards when into collections.
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Tags: Credit