America's credit card debt topped $1 trillion for the first time this year in the United States despite being the richest nation on the planet there's a pervasive problem a growing epidemic that's quietly reached alarming proportions credit card debt has now breach the daunting threshold of $1 trillion for the very first time as per CNBC 37% of Americans rely on credit cards and debt to cover their monthly expenses and 61% of Americans are trapped into cycle of living paycheck to paycheck as credit card balances continue to grow it begs the question what is going on in America why are so many people falling behind in this video we will examine the intricate web that credit card debt weaves in the lives of many Americans but before we continue allow me to welcome you to another video of Finance sense where we cover all the latest trends in the financial markets and the economy so make sure to leave a like subscribe if you're new to our Channel and please click the notification Bell now without further Ado let's start the United States has recently set a troubling record regrettably it is not positive the nation's credit card debt has now climbed to an unprecedented level for the very first time in its history credit card debt held by Americans has soared to an astounding $1 trillion despite official assurances of a Slowdown in inflation the reality remains that prices persist at elevated levels this has led to a growing Reliance on credit cards to cover daily expenses notably the issue at hand takes on a noteworthy Dimension the typical American is more inclined to engage in discussions regarding politics and religion rather than address credit card debt an alarming statistic reveals that two out of five Americans find credit card debt profoundly embarrassing this situation holds negative implications as credit card debt is poised to impact the broader economy an indicator known as delinquency rates affirms this concern showing an upward trajectory delinquency rates denote instances when individuals fail to meet credit card payment deadlines indicating Financial stress such instances often signify a forboding sign for overall economic health our debt repayment hierarchy usually prioritizes mortgage loans followed by auto loans with credit card debt ranking last consequently this emerging scenario could potentially signal the outset of larger economic challenges individual aged 18 to 29 and 30 to 39 Stand Out Among those most vulnerable to credit card repayment difficulties already a distrusting statistic reveals that one out of every 10 credit card holders faces a delay of 90 days or more in repayment unfortunately the ongoing Persistence of inflation coupled with the looming possibility of heightened interest rates has driven individuals to increasingly open additional credit card accounts in order to manage daily expenses whether you find yourself dependent on credit cards or not the subject at hand holds significance for all the impact of credit card debt eventually reverberates across the entire spectrum of society a substantial portion of Americans exceeding a third experien embarrassment regarding their credit card debt this sentiment occasionally prompts individuals to conceal their financial obligations from their Partners a survey of 2,000 respondents demonstrated that 15% acknowledged spending Beyond levels their significant other would approve with an additional 9% conf in to maintaining hidden credit card debt this Dynamic might also shed light on the pivotal role Financial strain placed in divorces curiously enough it's individuals earning six figures or more who find themselves saddled with prolonged credit card debt the point is that credit card debt occupies a significant place in our thoughts eliciting concern across age groups and income brackets encouraging open discourse about this topic is important as it wields an impact not only on personal relationships but also in the broader National landscape a staggering 54 million individuals have grappled with credit card debt for a span of at least 12 months additionally nearly half constituting 47% of Americans possessing credit cards carry their debt from 1 month to the next the magnitude of this issue becomes apparent when considering that this year's credit card debt growth paralleled that of the stock market for instance this year Foo and ETF representing the S&P 500 registered a 177% increase concurrently credit card debt expanded by 16% this has significant implications reflecting on the historical average returns of the stock market which have ranged from 7 to 10% over a century the present search to 177% is an anomaly worth noting if you among the approximately 190 million individuals in the United States who possess a credit card and your balance hovers around the average of over $5,000 your debt might be growing in $10 with one of the fastest stock market expansions seen in recent times this alignment implies that making substantial savings or accumulating wealth could be unattainable even if you strive to offset your debt through investment although it's reassuring that 37% of Americans manag to clear their credit card balances every month 12% find themselves unable to do so resorting to only the minimum payments consider the impact of this scenario and the extensive duration required to pay off a mere $5,000 credit card balance assuming an average 22% annual percentage rate or APR paying this debt would span 281 months or 23 years accompanied by interest payments surpassing $85,000 depending on the methodology employed to calculate minimum payments and interest such as the 2% balance method used by certain credit card companies your initial $5,000 could increase into a staggering $48,000 of interest in over 106 years essentially this stat could cast a lifelong financial burden possibly even outpacing one's capacity to mitigate it should you find yourself entangled in such an unfortunate predicament consider these steps begin by contacting your card issuer and requesting a reduction in your annual percentage rate initiating this process might be as simple as dialing the number on the back of your credit card and inquiring about an APR adjustment while the reduction might not be substantial a slight decrease can offer assistance a additionally explore the possibility of securing a 0% interest balance transfer card these cards provide 12 15 or even 20 months during which transferred balances incur no interest upon obtaining one adopt a proactive approach to settle as much of the balance as feasible within the introductory span to capitalize on the interest free Advantage however be mindful of the conditions securing approval for such a card is a prerequisite but the potential benefit make the effort worthwhile for individuals carrying a credit card balance taking actions sooner rather than later is advised particularly with the impending growth of student loan interest in September by October 2023 student loan repayments are set to assume the introduction of the on-ramp leniency program offers a positive development as it grants a grace period to those who are late or have missed payments delaying immediate reporting to collection agencies however it's important to note that this program concludes on September 30th 2024 hence refraining from student loan payments under the assumption of no repercussions is not advisable given that interest will continue to accumulate during this interval on a brighter note a superior alternative exists in the form of the save program this program presents an opportunity to significantly reduce payments potentially even Down to0 based on family size moreover while participating in the safe program interest acral is halted securing participation necessitates submitting an application through student a.gov IDR meanwhile credit card debt is one indicator of a broader Trend as the United States has surpassed records in multiple areas household debt has surged to a new high of $17.1 trillion followed by Mortgage Debt at a record 12 trillion auto loans at an unprecedented $1.6 trillion and student loan debt at a Rec $1.6 trillion regrettably these are not Milestones to celebrate contributing to the concerns raised by economists regarding the possibility of an adverse economic downturn intriguingly examining debt as a proportion of disposable income engaging the relationship between Americans earnings and debt obligations yields relatively positive findings Americans possess disposable income that could be allocated toward reducing debt despite the noteworthy levels of debt reached in in the US predicting a recession remains uncertain similar to a coin toss with two potential outcomes hi it looks like you've reached the end of this video thank you for watching this far Please Subscribe and give a like if you enjoyed it and comment your thoughts in the comment section this is finance sense helping you keep up with all the latest trends in the financial markets and the economy see you around