Collectively, Americans now owe a record $1.21 trillion on their credit cards, according to a new quarterly report on household debt from the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. Credit card balances jumped by $45 billion in the fourth quarter of 2024, driven in part by holiday spending, and are now 7.3% higher than a year ago.

Americans Struggle with Record Credit Card Debt U.S. credit card debt reached a record $1.17 trillion in the third quarter of 2024, growing from $770 billion in the first quarter of 2021 and the share of active credit card holders making just minimum payments rose to 10.75%, the highest percentage ever in data going back to 2012. [ The Guardian]

Creditors cannot have you arrested for credit card debt, but they can sue you for payment. If sued and you do not respond, a default judgment may award creditors everything they’ve asked for and result in garnishment of your wages or other actions to recover their losses.

Credit-card debt in the U.S. hit another record after an unusually-high increase following the holidays. Debt from credit cards reached $1.21 trillion i