Updated
Updated · Crypto Briefing · Aug 25
US Credit Card Delinquencies Hit 12.92% in Q2, Nearing 2011 Highs
Updated
Updated · Crypto Briefing · Aug 25

US Credit Card Delinquencies Hit 12.92% in Q2, Nearing 2011 Highs

3 articles · Updated · Crypto Briefing · Aug 25

Summary

  • 12.92% of US credit card balances were at least 90 days delinquent in Q2 2026, barely below Q1’s 13.1% and close to the 13.7% peak reached in early 2010.
  • About $1.26 trillion in revolving card debt is outstanding, and overdue balances have surged from roughly 7.6% in 2022 as persistent inflation and card rates above 25% squeezed borrowers.
  • The strain is concentrated even as total household debt edged down to $18.8 trillion, with renters and lower-income households hit harder than homeowners who benefited from rising asset values.
  • NY Fed figures look far worse than bank-reported data because they capture the full credit universe—including subprime and charged-off accounts—while banks reported a 2.92% 30-day delinquency rate in Q1.
  • A slight Q2 dip may reflect spring tax-refund seasonality, leaving Q3 and Q4 data key to judging whether delinquencies have plateaued or will challenge post-crisis highs again.

Insights

Could a hidden wave of lingering debt defaults silently destroy millions of consumer credit scores for years?
Are hidden reporting tricks by lenders making the US credit card crisis look much worse than it actually is?
With essential costs soaring, are credit cards becoming a dangerous permanent substitute for a living wage?