Very Few Millennials Are Without Debt & Acquiring Wealth

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Several disastrous economic forces have converged on millennials to hold them back from a financially successful life.

Unfortunately, not having debt is a rarity if you’re a young American today. Debt and millennials are now like bread and butter, and some of the reasons are no surprise to anyone: ever-rising student loan debt and rising costs of living. Despite this, it’s not student loan debt that’s weighing millennials down the most, it’s credit card debt. According to a survey by LendingTree, 67% of millennials have credit card debt, while just 36% have student loan debt. The same survey revealed the extent to which millennials lack confidence in their own abilities to pay off their debt. Almost 25% of millennials don’t expect to ever be debt-free.

The average interest rate on a credit card is currently 17%, although they can range from 15%-25%. Some Democratic presidential candidates have even made capping credit card interest rates a part of their political platform. While 17% isn’t an awful interest rate for a credit card, millennials who’re juggling this form of debt with others will often end up in a miserable cycle of debt.

While credit cards are more of a drag on millennials than student loan debt, student loan debt adds a financial burden on more than a third of Americans that makes the struggle against debt feel impossible. Seeing as many are juggling student debt, credit card debt, and perhaps even more debts such as car loans or mortgages, the economic prognosis isn’t looking great for many millennials.

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5 years ago