Living with Debt: How Much Household Debt Is Okay? - Debt Busters (2024)

FAQs

Living with Debt: How Much Household Debt Is Okay? - Debt Busters? ›

Each household should spend no more than 36% of their income on debt overall. This includes housing, car loans, credit cards, etc. For example, if you take home $4,000 a month, you should not be spending over $1,120 on housing expenses and $320 total on other debts each month.

Debt-to-Income Ratio

It is expressed as a percentage. You should shoot for 35% or less (more on this shortly). Recurring monthly debt is bills you must pay every month, like mortgage or rent, car payment, credit cards, student loan and monthly debt bill.

The National Foundation for Credit Counseling recommends that the debt-to-income ratio of your mortgage payment be no more than 28%.

U.S. consumers carry $6,501 in credit card debt on average, according to Experian data, but if your balance is much higher—say, $20,000 or beyond—you may feel hopeless. Paying off a high credit card balance can be a daunting task, but it is possible.

The average debt in America is $104,215 across mortgages, auto loans, student loans, and credit cards. Debt peaks between ages 40 and 49 among consumers with excellent credit scores. The largest percentages of the average consumer debt balance are mortgages.

Each household should spend no more than 36% of their income on debt overall.

$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. However, you don't have to accept decades of credit card debt. There are a few things you can do to pay your debt off faster - potentially saving thousands of dollars in the process.

Personal debt can be considered to be unmanageable when the level of required repayments cannot be met through normal income streams. This would usually occur over a sustained period of time, causing overall debt levels to increase to a level beyond which somebody is able to pay.

“No matter what your income, $100,000 in debt is a very significant amount. The first step to take is to acknowledge it is a problem and that you need to take action now; it's not going to disappear on its own.”

You might have too much debt if your debt-to-income ratio is more than 36%. Signs of having problematic debt include rising balances despite making regular payments, or being unable to build an emergency fund of at least $500.

How much credit card debt is normal? ›

What is the average credit card debt in the U.S.? Based on data from the Federal Reserve Bank of New York and the U.S. Census Bureau (based on 2024 and 2023 data respectively), it can be calculated that each American household carries an average of around $8,674 in credit card debt in a year.

Ideally, financial experts like to see a DTI of no more than 15 to 20 percent of your net income. For example, a family with a $250 car payment and $100 of monthly credit card payments, and $2,500 net income per month would have a DTI of 14 percent ($350/$2,500 = 0.14 or 14%).

The Standard Route is what credit companies and lenders recommend. If this is the graduate's choice, he or she will be debt free around the age of 58. It will take a total of 36 years to complete. It's a whole lot of time but it's the standard for a lot of people.

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.

People in the UK owed £1,856.8 billion at the end of June 2024. This is up by £23.3 million from £1,833.5 billion at the end of June 2023, an extra £267.79 per UK adult over the year. The average total debt per household, including mortgages, was £65,380. Per adult this was £34,612, around 96.3% of average earnings.

“No matter what your income, $100,000 in debt is a very significant amount. The first step to take is to acknowledge it is a problem and that you need to take action now; it's not going to disappear on its own.”

If you are over $30k in credit card debt, it may be more than you can handle through do-it-yourself efforts. If you're not making progress on your own personal finances, contact a professional debt settlement company such as ClearOne Advantage.

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.