Consumer Finance

Consumer Finance
Smart Credit Card Use Turns Debt Burdens Into Financial Flywheels
December 28, 2023

The holidays can be a stressful time financially for many consumers. Often, those consumers — particularly those living paycheck to paycheck — turn to their credit cards as an essential financing tool. But these quick-fix expenditures can add up. “Americans now owe over $1 trillion...

Consumer Finance
Nearly 40% of High-Income Consumers Use Pay Later Plans
December 27, 2023

In recent years, split-pay options have gained popularity among consumers of all demographic groups looking for greater flexibility in managing their expenses. But it’s not millennial, Gen Z, or low-income consumers who are most likely to use these plans — it’s high-income consumers. This applies...

Consumer Finance
Credit-Marginalized Consumers Turn to High-Interest Credit to Cover Emergency Expenses
December 20, 2023

Emergency expenses are a reality all consumers eventually face — and when economic headwinds and factors like rising prices enter the equation, these unexpected expenses can be burdensome, especially for credit-marginalized and younger consumers. Some consumers’ savings will not be enough to cover the cost...

Consumer Finance
Nearly Half of 2023’s Paycheck-to-Paycheck Consumers Had Super-Prime Credit Scores
December 19, 2023

Many people are resorting to credit cards to navigate difficult financial times, especially as the rising prices of goods and services continues to weigh on U.S. consumers’ wallets this holiday season.  In “The Credit Card Use Deep Dive Edition” of the “New Reality Check: The Paycheck-to-Paycheck...

Consumer Finance
Nearly Two-Thirds of Struggling Consumers Revolve Credit Card Balances
December 19, 2023

The holiday season has offered little reprieve from the rising prices of goods and services still weighing on consumers’ wallets. Many consumers use credit cards as a cash flow management tool. As of November 2023, 62% of consumers lived paycheck to paycheck, with 20% struggling...

Consumer Finance
40% of Borrowers Have Not Resumed Payments on Student Loans
December 18, 2023

The burden of student loan debt continues to weigh heavily on millions of Americans, as evidenced by the significant number of borrowers who have not resumed making payments after the pandemic-induced pause. Following a three-year pause, payments on federal student debt officially resumed in October,...

Consumer Finance
Negative Equity Among Car Owners Reaches Pre-COVID Rates
December 17, 2023

An increasing number of drivers reportedly owe more on their loans than their cars are worth. It’s a situation known as negative equity, and last month, American consumers were “underwater” on their loans by an average of $6,054, the most since April 2020, Bloomberg News reported...

Consumer Finance
Trial Attorney Rogge Dunn Targets Lenders With Class-Action Lawsuits
December 13, 2023

Trial attorney Rogge Dunn has filed two class-action lawsuits against lenders alleging violations of the Texas Deceptive Trade Practices Act, negligent misrepresentation and gross negligence against Texas homeowners. Filed in state court in Dallas County, the lawsuits target loanDepot and Cardinal Financial, Rogge Dunn Group said in a Wednesday (Dec. 13) press...

Consumer Finance
Nearly 2 in 5 Consumers Are Tipping Less Due to Dwindling Personal Finances
December 08, 2023

A recent report by PYMNTS Intelligence has shed light on a growing trend among consumers — they are tipping less this year. The “Tipping Over: Consumers Reducing Spending and Avoiding Tips” report, the 17th installment in the PYMNTS “Consumer Inflation Sentiment” series, draws on insights...