Credit card stress is hitting young Americans hardest: Transitions into serious credit card delinquencies for Americans aged 18-29 rose +0.4 percentage points in Q2 2026, to 10.1%, their highest since Q1 2025. This marks the 2nd consecutive increase, bringing the rate closer to
Why now
Thesis: Credit card stress hits young Americans hardest
Catalyst to watch: Next quarterly delinquency data
Main risk: Stress could broaden across age groups
Why it matters
Rising young-adult delinquencies signal consumer credit stress, a drag on lenders and spending.
Details
Credit card stress is hitting young Americans hardest: Transitions into serious credit card delinquencies for Americans aged 18-29 rose +0.4 percentage points in Q2 2026, to 10.1%, their highest since Q1 2025. This marks the 2nd consecutive increase, bringing the rate closer to its highest level since Q4 2010. Serious delinquencies among this age group have more than doubled since Q2 2021. Furthermore, transitions into 90+ days delinquent credit card debt among Americans aged 70+ rose +0.3 percentage points in Q2, to 6.3%, their highest since Q3 2011. At the same time, serious delinquencies among those aged 50-59 rose +0.1 percentage points, to 6.4%, their highest level since Q4 2024. Credit card stress is spreading across multiple generations.
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- x · 2026-09-28 23:32 UTC