Americans Carrying More Credit Card Debt, Report Finds
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Comstock/Thinkstock(NEW YORK) — Americans are carrying more credit card debt and being less careful about making payments on time, according to a new report from TransUnion.
The credit reporting firm said the average credit card debt per borrower rose to $4,996 in the third quarter of 2012 — a 4.91 percent increase from a year earlier.
Late credit card payments also went up between July and September. The rate of borrowers who were at least 90 days overdue climbed to 0.75 percent from 0.71 percent in 2011.
[ CLICK HERE TO READ TRANSUNION’S FULL REPORT ]
“Credit card delinquencies are following a pattern similar to what we observed in 2011, with declines in the first two quarters of the year followed by an increase in the third,” said Ezra Becker, vice president of research and consulting in TransUnion’s financial services business unit. “That seasonal consistency is encouraging.”
“Credit card debt trends in 2012 also are mirroring 2011, with a decrease in the first quarter followed by two increases over the next six months. With both delinquencies and debt levels remaining quite low relative to historical norms, we are confident in the continued stability of credit card usage patterns in the short term,” Becker added.
Copyright 2012 ABC News Radio