Data · Surveys
Surveys & Consumer Debt Data
Quarterly reader surveys, crosstabs, and headline findings on how American households are navigating credit card debt, settlement programs, and bankruptcy in 2026.
Headline Findings
62%
of Americans now carry a credit card balance month-to-month, up from 47% in 2021.
78%
of households earning under $50,000 carry a balance — the highest tier in 15 years.
$6,730
average balance per cardholder among revolvers (Q4 2025).
41%
of consumers who enrolled in a debt settlement program reported being sued by at least one creditor mid-program.
102 pts
average FICO drop during the first 18 months of a settlement program.
27%
of program enrollees drop out before any account is settled.
Crosstab
Which option did you ultimately choose?
- Did nothing / continued minimums31%
- Personal loan consolidation19%
- Balance transfer card14%
- Debt Management Plan (nonprofit)9%
- Debt settlement program17%
- Chapter 7 bankruptcy7%
- Chapter 13 bankruptcy3%
Crosstab
If you enrolled in a settlement program, did the outcome match the initial pitch?
- Yes, roughly as described28%
- Close, but took longer than promised34%
- Cost meaningfully more than disclosed22%
- No — outcome was substantially worse16%
Crosstab
Which of these were not adequately explained at enrollment?
- Tax consequence of forgiven debt (1099-C)58%
- Risk of being sued during the program49%
- Credit score impact magnitude41%
- Settlement fees charged on enrolled (not settled) balance37%
- Continued accrual of interest and late fees33%
Open Reader Survey
Tell us what actually happened.
Three minutes. Anonymous. Results published in the next issue.
Methodology
Surveys are fielded quarterly via a stratified online panel weighted to U.S. Census distributions for age, region, income and ethnicity. Reader experience questions on debt relief programs are restricted to respondents who self-identify as having enrolled in or completed a program in the prior 60 months; responses are validated against program documentation when uploaded.
Raw response files, weighted crosstabs, and the Stata code used to produce published tables are available on request to journalists, academics and regulators. Email the editorial desk.