Is 1k in debt bad?
A $1,000 balance isn't ideal -- but it's also not a deal-breaker. As a general rule, it's a good idea to steer clear of credit card debt, whether it's a $20 balance or a $20,000 balance. Of course, a $20 balance isn't going to cause you so much financial harm, while a $20,000 balance could drive you into bankruptcy.
Debt-to-income ratio is your monthly debt obligations compared to your gross monthly income (before taxes), expressed as a percentage. A good debt-to-income ratio is less than or equal to 36%. Any debt-to-income ratio above 43% is considered to be too much debt.
If it's between 36% to 42%, look into DIY methods like debt snowball or debt avalanche. If it's between 43% to 50%, take action to reduce your debt load; consulting a nonprofit credit counseling agency may be helpful. If it's 50% or more, your debt load is high risk; consider getting advice from a bankruptcy attorney.
The average debt an American owes is $104,215 across mortgage loans, home equity lines of credit, auto loans, credit card debt, student loan debt, and other debts like personal loans. Data from Experian breaks down the average debt a consumer holds based on type, age, credit score, and state.
There's no specific definition of “a lot of debt” — $10,000 might be a high amount of debt to one person, for example, but a very manageable debt for someone else. Calculating your debt-to-income (DTI) ratio gives you a rough idea.
Good debt should ideally be in low amounts, low cost, help you achieve your financial goals, and have potential tax advantages.
$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.
Is $2,000 too much credit card debt? $2,000 in credit card debt is manageable if you can pay more than the minimum each month. If it's hard to keep up with the payments, then you'll need to make some financial changes, such as tightening up your spending or refinancing your debt.
Age Group | Average Debt | Delinquency Rate |
---|---|---|
18-25 | $8,091 | 1.47% |
26-35 | $17,191 | 1.49% |
36-45 | $26,048 | 1.11% |
46-55 | $32,508 | 0.83% |
$15,000 can be an intimidating total when you see it on credit card statements, but you don't have to be in debt forever. If you're struggling to make your minimum payments every month and you don't see light at the end of the tunnel, sign up for a debt management program to get out of debt fast.
How much debt is too high?
If you cannot afford to pay your minimum debt payments, your debt amount is unreasonable. The 28/36 rule states that no more than 28% of a household's gross income should be spent on housing and no more than 36% on housing plus other debt.
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.
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.
- Pay more than the minimum payment every month. ...
- Tackle high-interest debts with the avalanche method. ...
- Set up a payment plan. ...
- Put extra money toward paying off your debts. ...
- Start a side hustle. ...
- Limit unnecessary spending. ...
- Don't let your debt hit collections.
Likewise, millennial consumers (ages 25 to 40) have an average of $27,251 in non-mortgage debt, presumably across credit cards, auto loans, personal loans and student loans.
Gen Z (up to age 26): 20.8% have no loan, 72.4% have one loan, 6.3% have two loans; average monthly payment is $429. Millennials (27-42): 36.8% have no auto loan, 52.9% have one, 9.3% have two; average monthly payment is $547.
Some for the first time, others seeing their existing debt get worse. Here's the thing I want to say – and this is important: There's no shame in having debt, and it's completely understandable to be stressed and anxious about it. I say that because so many people in debt do feel shame. And guilt.
Between mortgage loans, credit cards, student loans, and car loans, it's not uncommon for the typical American to have one or more types of debt. The ones who are living debt-free may seem like a rarity, but they aren't special or superhuman, nor are they necessarily wealthy.
When you have high-interest consumer debt, paying it down first can help you solve ongoing problems with managing your money. The more you reduce your principal and the amount of interest you owe, the more money you'll have in your budget each month to devote to savings or other line items.
“That's because the best balance transfer and personal loan terms are reserved for people with strong credit scores. $20,000 is a lot of credit card debt and it sounds like you're having trouble making progress,” says Rossman.
What is the 50 30 20 rule?
The 50-30-20 rule recommends putting 50% of your money toward needs, 30% toward wants, and 20% toward savings. The savings category also includes money you will need to realize your future goals.
- Figure out your budget.
- Reduce your spending.
- Stop using your credit cards.
- Look for extra income and cash.
- Find a payoff method you'll stick with.
- Look into debt consolidation.
- Know when to call it quits.
Put extra money toward the debt with the highest interest rate. Called the debt avalanche strategy, this method will save the most money on interest in the long run. Make the minimum payments on all of your debts, and then funnel any extra money you have toward paying off your highest-interest debt.
The 28/36 rule dictates that you spend no more than 28 percent of your gross monthly income on housing costs and no more than 36 percent on all of your debt combined, including those housing costs.
Having any credit card debt can be stressful, but $10,000 in credit card debt is a different level of stress. The average credit card interest rate is over 20%, so interest charges alone will take up a large chunk of your payments. On $10,000 in balances, you could end up paying over $2,000 per year in interest.
References
- https://www.unfcu.org/financial-wellness/50-30-20-rule/
- https://www.nerdwallet.com/article/finance/find-extra-money-pay-debts
- https://wallethub.com/answers/cc/how-to-pay-off-15000-in-credit-card-debt-1000294-2140754717/
- https://www.bankrate.com/finance/credit-cards/credit-card-debt-survey/
- https://www.experian.com/blogs/ask-experian/credit-education/how-to-get-out-of-debt/
- https://www.genisyscu.org/genisys-blog/why-is-a-mortgage-good-debt-to-have
- https://www.nasdaq.com/articles/this-is-the-average-age-most-americans-become-mortgage-free
- https://www.cbsnews.com/news/how-to-pay-off-15000-in-credit-card-debt/
- https://www.creditkarma.com/insights/i/average-debt-by-age
- https://www.gloucestershire.police.uk/SysSiteAssets/foi-media/gloucestershire/policies/unmanageable-debt-policy
- https://gtdebtsolutions.com/2023/06/14/how-much-debt-is-normal-for-your-age/
- https://www.ramseysolutions.com/debt/7-characteristics-of-debt-free-people
- https://www.experian.com/blogs/ask-experian/how-much-credit-card-debt-is-too-much/
- https://www.fool.com/the-ascent/credit-cards/articles/i-owe-1000-on-my-credit-cards-am-i-in-trouble/
- https://www.bostonherald.com/2023/03/14/the-average-millennial-has-nearly-30k-in-debt-here-is-what-they-should-do/
- https://www.marketwatch.com/picks/i-have-20k-in-credit-card-debt-and-pay-400-a-month-just-in-interest-im-worried-about-this-large-sum-of-interest-im-paying-what-should-i-do-01675358619
- https://www.cnbc.com/select/average-debt-for-20-year-olds/
- https://www.cnbc.com/select/average-american-debt-by-age/
- https://www.investopedia.com/terms/b/baddebt.asp
- https://www.forbes.com/advisor/credit-cards/average-credit-card-debt/
- https://finance.yahoo.com/news/jaw-dropping-stats-state-credit-130022967.html
- https://www.fool.com/the-ascent/credit-cards/articles/have-10k-in-credit-card-debt-heres-how-to-pay-it-off/
- https://www.lendingtree.com/personal/personal-loan-calculator/
- https://www.incharge.org/debt-relief/debt-management/how-to-pay-off-50000-credit-card-debt-strategies-advice/
- https://wallethub.com/answers/cc/what-percentage-of-america-is-debt-free-2140664784/
- https://www.nerdwallet.com/article/finance/what-is-the-average-credit-score-by-age-and-what-is-a-good-score-for-my-age
- https://www.experian.com/blogs/ask-experian/what-is-the-average-credit-score-in-the-u-s/
- https://www.investopedia.com/ask/answers/021215/what-good-debt-ratio-and-what-bad-debt-ratio.asp
- https://www.axios.com/2023/12/12/mortgage-free-homes
- https://www.koho.ca/learn/zero-balance-on-credit-card/
- https://www.firstrepublic.com/insights-education/average-american-debt
- https://www.cbsnews.com/news/how-to-pay-off-20000-in-credit-card-debt-in-3-years-or-less/
- https://www.fool.com/the-ascent/credit-cards/how-much-debt-too-much/
- https://www.nerdwallet.com/article/finance/how-much-debt-is-too-much
- https://www.cnbc.com/select/what-is-the-28-36-rule-for-buying-a-home/
- https://abcnews.go.com/US/americans-credit-card-debt-hits-record-113-trillion/story?id=106990807
- https://www.businessinsider.com/personal-finance/average-credit-score
- https://www.incharge.org/debt-relief/how-much-debt-is-too-much/
- https://www.ramseysolutions.com/debt/average-american-debt
- https://www.thebalancemoney.com/debt-free-characteristics-4059833
- https://www.bankrate.com/banking/savings/emergency-savings-report/
- https://www.bankrate.com/personal-finance/debt/why-debt-forgiveness-is-not-as-forgiving-as-it-looks/
- https://www.citizensbank.com/learning/how-much-debt-is-too-much.aspx
- https://www.sacbee.com/finance/article272836150.html
- https://www.synchronybank.com/blog/average-american-debt-by-age/
- https://www.bankrate.com/real-estate/what-is-the-28-36-rule/
- https://www.debt.org/faqs/americans-in-debt/demographics/
- https://wallethub.com/answers/cc/how-long-to-pay-off-15000-credit-card-debt-1000423-2140858499/
- https://www.investopedia.com/average-credit-scores-by-gender-5214525
- https://www.businessinsider.com/personal-finance/average-american-debt
- https://www.investopedia.com/ask/answers/12/reasonable-amount-of-debt.asp
- https://www.cbsnews.com/news/how-long-will-it-take-to-pay-off-5000-in-credit-card-debt/
- https://www.schwabmoneywise.com/essentials/good-debt-vs-bad-debt
- https://www.caminofinancial.com/en/blog/business-managment/psychology-of-being-debt-free/
- https://www.cbsnews.com/news/ways-to-pay-off-10000-in-credit-card-debt/
- https://www.cas.org.uk/news/we-need-take-shame-out-being-debt
- https://www.usatoday.com/money/blueprint/credit-cards/what-is-the-average-credit-card-debt/
- https://wallethub.com/answers/cc/how-long-to-pay-off-20000-credit-card-debt-1000423-2140858500/
- https://extension.umn.edu/credit-and-debt/how-much-debt-too-much-debt
- https://www.cnbc.com/select/paying-off-too-much-debt/
- https://www.nerdwallet.com/article/credit-cards/15000-credit-card-debt
- https://wallethub.com/answers/pl/monthly-payment-on-15000-personal-loan-1000450-2140762724/
- https://fortune.com/2024/03/01/millennials-gen-z-snowballing-debt-interest-rates-credit-scores/
- https://www.horizonfcu.org/5-ways-to-pay-off-a-loan-early/
- https://money.com/how-to-pay-off-debt/
- https://www.incharge.org/debt-relief/debt-management/pay-off-15000-in-credit-card-debt/
- https://www.experian.com/blogs/ask-experian/how-to-pay-off-credit-card-debt-with-no-money/
- https://money.com/average-american-personal-debt-amount/
- https://www.bankrate.com/banking/savings/these-guidelines-will-help-you-decide-whether-to-pay-down-debt-or-save/
- https://finance.yahoo.com/news/men-vs-women-more-credit-120024159.html
- https://www.cnbc.com/select/average-american-debt-in-40s/
- https://hopecu.org/understandingcreditcards/
- https://www.fool.com/the-ascent/research/average-household-debt/
- https://www.nasdaq.com/articles/40-of-americans-pay-off-their-house-are-they-doing-better-financially
- https://www.bankrate.com/finance/credit-cards/business-credit-cards-tax-deductible/
- https://www.equifax.com/personal/education/credit/report/articles/-/learn/understanding-credit-good-debt-vs-bad-debt/
- https://www.forbes.com/advisor/mortgages/pay-off-mortgage-early-vs-investing/
- https://localfirstbank.com/article/how-much-money-should-i-have-saved-by-the-time-i-am-30/
- https://wallethub.com/answers/cc/how-long-to-pay-off-7000-credit-card-1000423-2140858495/
- https://www.cbsnews.com/news/great-ways-to-pay-off-20000-in-credit-card-debt/
- https://www.capitalone.com/learn-grow/money-management/average-credit-card-debt-in-america/
- https://www.equifax.com/personal/education/credit-cards/articles/-/learn/why-do-people-have-credit-card-debt/
- https://www.cnbc.com/2024/04/09/most-of-americans-are-living-paycheck-to-paycheck-heres-why.html
- https://www.consolidatedcredit.org/credit-card-debt/how-much-debt-is-too-much/
- https://www.credible.com/personal-loan/credit-card-consolidation-loans/30000-credit-card-debt
- https://fortune.com/recommends/credit-cards/average-credit-card-debt/