Which generation has most debt?
Gen X (ages 43 to 58) not only carries the most debt on average of all the generations, but is also the debt leader in credit card and total non-mortgage debt.
Gen X (ages 43 to 58) not only carries the most debt on average of all the generations, but is also the debt leader in credit card and total non-mortgage debt.
Americans collectively owe over $1 trillion in credit card debt. But one generation carries the most, on average: Gen X. The average credit card balance for Gen Xers, defined at those between the ages of 43 and 58, rose to $9,123 in the third quarter of 2023, according to Experian's latest available data.
While Americans of all ages are grappling with higher balances, Gen Z and millennials are seeing the largest average increases in total debt and the steepest decline in credit scores, according to data provided to Fortune by personal finance company Credit Karma on tens of millions of member accounts.
With federal student debt totaling $1.63 trillion, the majority of federal student debt is concentrated with Generation X. The average Baby Boomer with student loans tends to owe more than the average Millennial. However, on the national scale, Millennials have a larger overall debt than Baby Boomers.
Comparatively, the generation with the least debt — Gen Zers (ages 18 to 26) — owes less than half as much, with an average balance of $21,665.
Men have 2% more credit card debt than women. Men have 20% more personal loan debt than women. Men have 16.3% more auto loan debt than women. Men have 9.7% more mortgage debt than women.
A good goal is to be debt-free by retirement age, either 65 or earlier if you want. If you have other goals, such as taking a sabbatical or starting a business, you should make sure that your debt isn't going to hold you back.
Americans — particularly Millennials and those with lower incomes — are becoming increasingly overextended financially: Credit card and auto loan delinquencies have not only surpassed pre-pandemic levels, they're the highest they've been in more than a decade.
For example, a new study by the Investment Company Institute (ICI) finds that “Gen Z households have nearly three times more assets in the [retirement] plan accounts (adjusted for inflation) that Gen X households did at the same age.” More Gen Z-ers have retirement plans set up and they've saved more in those accounts.
Why is Gen Z struggling financially?
More than half, or 53%, of Gen Zers say higher costs are a barrier to their financial success, according to a separate survey from Bank of America. In addition to soaring food and housing expenses, millennials and Gen Z face other financial challenges their parents did not as young adults.
According to recent data from a 2023 Pew Research Centre survey, Gen Z is more financially independent at a younger age than prior generations. While still in school, a sizeable proportion of Gen Zers work part-time, freelance, or have side hustles.
Millennials set to be the 'richest generation in history' thanks to $90 trillion wealth transfer | Fortune.
1 More Millennial households are in poverty than households headed by any other generation. In 2016, an estimated 5.3 million of the nearly 17 million U.S. households living in poverty were headed by a Millennial, compared with 4.2 million headed by a Gen Xer and 5.0 million headed by a Baby Boomer.
King said millennials' purchasing preferences and the soaring cost of living has led many into "a vicious cycle of taking on more debt." Many were "forced" to rely on credit cards and loans to meet their needs, adding to their "crippling debt pile."
70% of the Nation's Poor are Women & Children
Women in America are still 35 percent more likely than men to be poor in America, with single mothers facing the highest risk. Currently, 35 percent of single women with children live and raise their families in poverty.
The United States has the world's highest national debt with $30.1 trillion owed to creditors as of the first quarter of 2023. Washington's debt now stands at $31.4 trillion, raising further concerns about US government spending and borrowing costs.
Around 23% of Americans are debt free, according to the most recent data available from the Federal Reserve. That figure factors in every type of debt, from credit card balances and student loans to mortgages, car loans and more. The exact definition of debt free can vary, though, depending on whom you ask.
A 2023 survey conducted by Payroll.org highlighted that 78% of Americans live paycheck to paycheck, a 6% increase from the previous year. In other words, more than three-quarters of Americans struggle to save or invest after paying for their monthly expenses.
Over time, paying down debt has the potential to significantly improve your health and overall quality of life. No matter how small, any step toward becoming debt-free is a positive move in the right direction.
What age do most pay off mortgage?
That makes sense, of course, as older Americans have had a longer time to make payments. But with nearly two-thirds of retirement-age Americans having paid off their mortgages, it means that the average age they have gotten rid of that debt is likely in their early 60s.
$5,000 in credit card debt can be quite costly in the long run. That's especially the case if you only make minimum payments each month.
The average life reflects the average period of time that borrowers are required to settle the loan debt in MBS and ABS. When investing in such types of securities, investors typically buy small portions of the associated debt that is embedded within the security.
35% or less: Looking Good - Relative to your income, your debt is at a manageable level. You most likely have money left over for saving or spending after you've paid your bills. Lenders generally view a lower DTI as favorable.
Only a small percentage—about 6% of borrowers—owe $100,000 or more. Nationally, the average student loan balance per borrower is $39,032, so if you have $100,000 in student loan debt, you have about 2.5 times the national average balance. But your loan principal is just one part of the problem.
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