Debt Management Feb 27, 2026

HELOC Rates Just Fell to Their Lowest Level Since 2022, and Homeowners Sitting on $35 Trillion in Equity Are Starting to Borrow Against It at the Fastest Pace in Three Years

Average HELOC rates have fallen to 7.23% and home equity loan rates to 7.44%, their lowest since late 2022. With $35 trillion in home equity and three expected Fed cuts, borrowing is accelerating.

The Money Unlock Editorial Team 7 min read

Debt Management Feb 24, 2026

56% of Americans Now Carry More Credit Card Debt Than Emergency Savings, and the Financial Safety Net That Once Defined the Middle Class Has All but Disappeared

Bankrate's 2026 Emergency Savings Report reveals 56% of Americans owe more on credit cards than they have saved for emergencies, with 17% having no savings at all.

The Money Unlock Editorial Team 8 min read

Debt Management Feb 23, 2026

41% of Buy Now, Pay Later Users Made a Late Payment Last Year, and One in Four Is Now Using Installments to Buy Groceries

Buy Now Pay Later late payment rates surged to 41% in 2025, up from 34% the prior year, while grocery BNPL use nearly doubled to 25%. The data reveals a consumer credit stress point regulators are scrambling to address.

The Money Unlock Editorial Team 8 min read

Debt Management Feb 22, 2026

Auto Loan Delinquencies Just Hit a 32-Year Record as the Average New Car Costs Nearly $50,000 and Monthly Payments Approach $750: Inside the Quiet Crisis Squeezing 85 Million American Borrowers

Subprime auto loan delinquencies have surged to their highest level since 1993, with 6.65% of subprime borrowers at least 60 days late. The average new car costs nearly $50,000, monthly payments have hit $748, and tariffs could add thousands more.

The Money Unlock Editorial Team 8 min read

Debt Management Feb 20, 2026

America's $18.8 Trillion Household Debt Load Hit Its Worst Stress Point in Years — Here Is Where the Cracks Are Appearing and What It Means for Your Finances

The NY Fed's Q4 2025 Household Debt Report shows $18.8 trillion in total debt, rising delinquencies in credit cards, mortgages, and student loans. Here's what it means for your finances.

The Money Unlock Editorial Team 8 min read

Debt Management Feb 19, 2026

American Credit Card Debt Just Hit a Record $1.28 Trillion — and the Fed Data Paints a Portrait of a Country Financially Split in Two

New York Federal Reserve data shows American credit card balances hit a record $1.28 trillion in Q4 2025, up 5.5% year-over-year, as total household debt climbs to $18.8 trillion and the K-shaped economy widens.

The Money Unlock Editorial Team 8 min read

Debt Management Feb 18, 2026

The CBO Just Projected a $1.9 Trillion Federal Deficit for 2026 and Warned That National Debt Will Surpass the World War II Record Within Four Years

The Congressional Budget Office projects federal debt will hit 108% of GDP by 2030 and 120% by 2036, surpassing the World War II record. Deficits will total $24.4 trillion over the next decade.

The Money Unlock Editorial Team 8 min read

Debt Management Feb 17, 2026

American Credit Card Debt Has Crossed $1.28 Trillion for the First Time, and Nearly Half of It Was Charged Out of Necessity, Not Choice

Credit card balances rose $44 billion in Q4 2025 to a record $1.28 trillion. With 41% of debt from emergencies and average rates above 20%, millions of households are borrowing just to survive.

The Money Unlock Editorial Team 8 min read

Debt Management Feb 16, 2026

Subprime Auto Loan Delinquencies Have Hit Their Highest Level Since the 1990s, and the Average New Car Now Costs $49,740 With a 72-Month Payment Plan

6.65% of subprime auto borrowers are at least 60 days late on payments, the highest rate since the 1990s. With average new car prices near $50,000 and subprime rates at 21.55%, the auto loan market is fracturing.

The Money Unlock Editorial Team 8 min read

Debt Management Feb 16, 2026

Paying Down Debt Has Become America's Number One Financial Goal for 2026 as More Than Half of Households Cut Emergency Savings Just to Keep Up With Prices

Paying down debt is the number one financial goal for Americans in 2026 as total household debt hits $18 trillion, credit card delinquencies spike, and 54% of households reduce emergency savings to cover rising costs.

The Money Unlock Editorial Team 8 min read

Debt Management Feb 16, 2026

ACA Premiums Have Surged 26% and 7.3 Million Americans Are Expected to Lose Marketplace Coverage After the Biggest Subsidy Expiration in the Law's History

Enhanced ACA premium subsidies expired at the end of 2025, causing a 26% average premium increase and threatening coverage for 7.3 million marketplace enrollees. Monthly costs have more than doubled for many families.

The Money Unlock Editorial Team 8 min read

Debt Management Feb 16, 2026

Buy Now, Pay Later Has Quietly Become a $70 Billion Shadow Debt Crisis That Credit Bureaus Cannot See

BNPL transaction volume has reached $70 billion annually, but 41% of users are paying late and most of the debt is invisible to credit bureaus, creating a shadow lending crisis that threatens mortgage eligibility and financial stability.

The Money Unlock Editorial Team 8 min read