Credit card debt in the United States has been growing at a fast pace between 2021 and 2025. In the fourth quarter of 2024, the overall amount of credit card debt reached its highest value throughout the timeline considered here. COVID-19 had a big impact on the indebtedness of Americans, as credit card debt decreased from *** billion U.S. dollars in the last quarter of 2019 to *** billion U.S. dollars in the first quarter of 2021. What portion of Americans use credit cards? A substantial portion of Americans had at least one credit card in 2025. That year, the penetration rate of credit cards in the United States was ** percent. This number increased by nearly seven percentage points since 2014. The primary factors behind the high utilization of credit cards in the United States are a prevalent culture of convenience, a wide range of reward schemes, and consumer preferences for postponed payments. Which companies dominate the credit card issuing market? In 2024, the leading credit card issuers in the U.S. by volume were JPMorgan Chase & Co. and American Express. Both firms recorded transactions worth over one trillion U.S. dollars that year. Citi and Capital One were the next banks in that ranking, with the transactions made with their credit cards amounting to over half a trillion U.S. dollars that year. Those industry giants, along with other prominent brand names in the industry such as Bank of America, Synchrony Financial, Wells Fargo, and others, dominate the credit card market. Due to their extensive customer base, appealing rewards, and competitive offerings, they have gained a significant market share, making them the preferred choice for consumers.

The average amount of non-mortgage debt held by consumers in the United States has been falling steadily during the past years, amounting to ****** U.S. dollars in 2023. While respondents had ****** U.S. dollars of debt in 2018, that volume decreased to ****** U.S. dollars in 2019, which constituted the largest year-over-year decrease.What age groups are more indebted in the U.S.?The age group with the highest level of consumer debt in the U.S. was belonging to the Generation X with approximately ******* U.S. dollars of debt in 2022. The next generations with high consumer debt levels were baby boomers and millennials, whose debt levels were similar. In comparison, credit card debt is more equally distributed across all ages. There is an exception among people under 35 years old, who are significantly less burdened with credit card debt. However, most consumers expect to get rid of their debt in the short term. College expenses as a source of debtEducational expenses were not among the leading sources of debt among consumers in the U.S. in 2022. Instead, they made up about ** percent of the total. However, around ** percent of undergraduates from lower-income families had student loans, while over a fifth of undergraduates from higher-income families had student loans. Independently of how they cover these expenses, the confidence of students and parents about being able to pay these college costs was high in most cases.

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Debt Settlement Market Size 2024-2028

The debt settlement market size is forecast to increase by USD 5.07 billion at a CAGR of 10.3% between 2023 and 2028.

The market is experiencing significant growth due to the increasing trend of consumers seeking relief from mounting credit card debts. One-time debt settlement has gained popularity as an effective solution for individuals looking to reduce their outstanding debt balances. However, the time-consuming nature of negotiations between debtors and creditors poses a challenge for market expansion. Despite this, the market's strategic landscape remains favorable for companies offering debt settlement services. Key drivers include the rising number of consumers struggling with debt, increasing awareness of debt settlement as a viable debt relief option, and the growing preference for affordable and flexible debt repayment plans.
Companies seeking to capitalize on market opportunities should focus on streamlining the negotiation process, leveraging technology to enhance customer experience, and building trust and transparency with clients. Effective operational planning and strategic partnerships with creditors can also help companies navigate the challenges of a competitive and complex market.

What will be the Size of the Debt Settlement Market during the forecast period?

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The market encompasses a range of companies offering financial wellness programs to help consumers manage and reduce their debt. These programs include medical Debt collection, consumer debt relief, and financial education resources. Online financial resources and debt management software are increasingly popular, providing consumers with affordable debt solutions and debt negotiation strategies. However, it's crucial for consumers to be aware of debt settlement scams and their settlement success rates. Debt consolidation loans and financial planning tools are also viable options for responsible debt management. Furthermore, financial literacy education and workshops are essential for consumers to understand debt reduction calculators and credit reporting errors.
Consumer financial protection agencies offer financial counseling services and financial planning advice to promote financial wellness strategies and responsible borrowing. Student loan forgiveness programs are also gaining traction in the market. Overall, the market for debt settlement and financial wellness solutions continues to evolve, with a focus on providing accessible and effective debt relief options for consumers.

How is this Debt Settlement Industry segmented?

The debt settlement industry research report provides comprehensive data (region-wise segment analysis), with forecasts and estimates in 'USD million' for the period 2024-2028, as well as historical data from 2018-2022 for the following segments.

Type

  Credit card debt
  Student loan debt
  Medical debt
  Auto loan debt
  Unsecured personal loan debt
  Others


End-user

  Individual
  Enterprise
  Government


Distribution Channel

  Online
  Offline
  Hybrid


Service Type

  Debt Settlement
  Debt Consolidation
  Debt Management Plans
  Credit Counseling


Provider Type

  For-profit Debt Settlement Companies
  Non-profit Credit Counseling Agencies
  Law Firms
  Financial Institutions


Geography

  North America

    US
    Canada


  Europe

    France
    Germany
    Italy
    UK


  Middle East and Africa



  APAC

    China
    India
    Japan
    South Korea


  South America



  Rest of World (ROW)

By Type Insights

The credit card debt segment is estimated to witness significant growth during the forecast period.

The market experiences significant activity due to the escalating credit card debt among consumers. In India, for instance, the rising financial hardships faced by borrowers are evident in the increasing credit card defaults. The latest data indicates that credit card defaults in India reached 1.8% in June 2024, a notable increase from 1.7% six months prior and 1.6% in March 2023. This trend underscores the mounting financial pressures on consumers. The outstanding credit card debt in India mirrors this trend, with approximately USD3.25 billion in outstanding balances as of June 2024, a slight increase from the previous year.

Debt elimination and negotiation strategies, such as debt relief programs and debt consolidation, have become increasingly popular among consumers seeking financial relief. Credit reporting agencies play a crucial role in this process, as they maintain and report consumers' credit histories to lenders. Student loan debt, medical debt, tax debt, and payday loans are other significant contributors to the market. Consumers often turn to debt validation, credit repair, and financial coaching for guidance in managing their debts. Online platforms, mobile apps, and budgeting tools have become esse

Clients seeking financial advice from the debt charity StepChange in the United Kingdom had on average approximately ***** British pounds of unsecured credit card debt in 2022. On average, the new clients of this charity owed more unsecured debt from personal loans than from any other type of credit.

The Survey of Consumer Finances (SCF) is normally a triennial cross-sectional survey of U.S. families. The survey data include information on families' balance sheets, pensions, income, and demographic characteristics.

Credit card delinquencies rose steadily for subprime borrowers from March 2022, when monetary policy tightening began, to November 2024. As of January 2025, however, the subprime delinquency rate has fallen for two consecutive months. This fall coincided with declines in both subprime credit card purchases as well as the annual percentage rate (APR) for subprime credit cards. Together, these declines suggest subprime borrowers had lower demand for credit card financing in recent months.

Debt-To-Assets-Ratio Time Series for American Express Company. American Express Company, together with its subsidiaries, operates as integrated payments company in the United States, Europe, the Middle East and Africa, the Asia Pacific, Australia, New Zealand, Latin America, Canada, the Caribbean, and Internationally. It operates through four segments: U.S. Consumer Services, Commercial Services, International Card Services, and Global Merchant and Network Services. The company's products and services include credit card, charge card, banking, and other payment and financing products; network services; expense management products and services; and travel and lifestyle services. It also provides merchant acquisition and processing, servicing and settlement, point-of-sale marketing, and information products and services for merchants; and fraud prevention services, as well as the design and operation of customer loyalty programs. In addition, the company leases and operates lounges at airports. Further, it designs and develops a software to manage company expenses. The company sells its products and services to consumers, small businesses, mid-sized companies, and large corporations through mobile and online applications, affiliate marketing, customer referral programs, third-party service providers and business partners, direct mail, telephone, in-house sales teams, telephone, and direct response advertising. American Express Company was founded in 1850 and is based in New York, New York.

In the third quarter of 2022, households in the United States had, on average, ****** U.S. dollars of mortgage debt. That was the biggest component of their personal debt burden. The value per capita of car and student loans was much lower, but still contributed more to the level of household indebtedness than credit cards or HE revolving.

United States - Credit Unions; Debt Securities and Loans; Asset, Transactions was 118528.00000 Mil. of $ in April of 2025, according to the United States Federal Reserve. Historically, United States - Credit Unions; Debt Securities and Loans; Asset, Transactions reached a record high of 364396.00000 in April of 2022 and a record low of -37628.00000 in January of 2009. Trading Economics provides the current actual value, an historical data chart and related indicators for United States - Credit Unions; Debt Securities and Loans; Asset, Transactions - last updated from the United States Federal Reserve on November of 2025.

Debt-To-Equity-Ratio Time Series for Fiserv, Inc.. Fiserv, Inc. provides payments and financial services technology solutions in the United States, Europe, the Middle East and Africa, Latin America, the Asia-Pacific, and internationally. It operates through the Merchant Solutions and Financial Solutions segments. The company provides merchant acquiring and digital commerce services, mobile payment services, security and fraud protection solutions, stored-value solutions, software-as-a-service, and pay-by-bank solutions, as well as Clover, a point-of-sale and business management platform through various channels, including direct sales teams, strategic partnerships with agent sales forces, independent software vendors, independent sales organizations, financial institutions, and other strategic partners. It also offers debit card processing services, debit network services, security and fraud protection products, bill payment; person-to-person payments, account-to-account transfers, credit card processing services, prepaid card processing services, card production services, print services, government payment processing, student loan processing, and customer loan and deposit account processing; digital banking; financial and risk management; and professional services and consulting, check processing, automated clearing house, and real-time payments. It serves large enterprise, small business, banks, credit union, large financial institution, fintech, public sectors, and software providers. Fiserv, Inc. was incorporated in 1984 and is headquartered in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

The value of the debt per adult in Europe in 2022 varied a lot from country to country. While Swiss adults had on average over ******* U.S. dollars of debt in 2022, adults from Azerbaijan had a debt of *** dollars. Meanwhile, the average volume of debt in Europe that year was almost ****** U.S. dollars per adult. The household debt to disposable income ratio in Europe follows a similarly varied distribution. As varied as the volume of debts in Europe are, the most common forms of debt are still very similar and they tend to include: credit cards, medical debt, student loans, overdrafts, mortgages, automobile financing and personal loans.

Private Debt to GDP in the United States decreased to 142 percent in 2024 from 147.50 percent in 2023. United States Private Debt to GDP - values, historical data, forecasts and news - updated on December of 2025.

Debt-To-Equity-Ratio Time Series for First Foundation Inc.. First Foundation Inc., together with its subsidiaries, provides banking services, investment advisory, wealth management, and trust services to individuals, businesses, and other organizations in the United States. The company operates in two segments, Banking and Wealth Management. It offers a range of deposit products, including personal and business checking accounts, savings accounts, interest-bearing demand deposit accounts, money market accounts, and time certificate of deposits; and loan products consisting of multifamily and single family residential real estate loans, commercial real estate loans, commercial term loans, and line of credits, as well as consumer loans, such as personal installment loans and line of credits, and home equity line of credits. The company provides various specialized services comprising trust services, online and mobile banking, remote deposit capture services, merchant credit card services, ATM cards, Visa debit cards, and business sweep accounts, as well as insurance brokerage services and equipment financing solutions. In addition, it offers investment management and financial planning services; financial, investment, and economic advisory and related services; and treasury management services, such as bill pay, check/payee/ACH positive pay, wire origination, internal and external transfers, account reconciliation reporting, mobile deposit, lockbox, cash vault services and merchant processing. Further, the company provides support services, including the processing and transmission of financial and economic data for charitable organizations. It operates through a network of branch offices and loan production offices. The company was founded in 1985 and is headquartered in Dallas, Texas.

The Survey of Consumer Finances (SCF) dataset, provided by the Federal Reserve, offers comprehensive insights into the financial condition of U.S. households. This dataset is invaluable for researchers, policymakers, and analysts interested in understanding consumer behavior, wealth distribution, and economic trends in the United States.

The SCF dataset includes detailed information on household income, assets, liabilities, and various demographic characteristics. It is collected every three years and serves as a crucial resource for analyzing the financial well-being of American families.

Key Features: Income Data: Information on various sources of income, including wages, investments, and government assistance. Asset Ownership: Detailed accounts of household assets, such as real estate, retirement accounts, stocks, and other investments. Liabilities:Comprehensive details on household debts, including mortgages, credit card debts, and student loans. Demographics: Data covering age, education, race, and family structure, allowing for nuanced analysis of financial trends across different segments of the population.

Use Cases: Economic research and analysis, Policy formulation and assessment, Understanding wealth inequality, Consumer behavior studies

Citing the Dataset:

When using this dataset in your research, please ensure to cite the Federal Reserve Board and the SCF as the original source.

Note: The dataset is intended for educational and research purposes. Users are encouraged to adhere to ethical guidelines when analyzing and interpreting the data.

Net-Buyback-Yield Time Series for Synchrony Financial. Synchrony Financial, together with its subsidiaries, operates as a consumer financial services company in the United States. It provides credit products, such as credit cards, commercial credit products, and consumer installment loans. The company also offers private label credit cards, dual and general purpose co-branded cards, short- and long-term installment loans, and consumer banking products; and deposit products, including certificates of deposit, individual retirement accounts, money market accounts, savings accounts, and sweep and affinity deposits, as well as accepts deposits through third-party securities brokerage firms. In addition, it provides debt cancellation products to its credit card customers through online and mobile channels; and healthcare payments and financing solutions under the CareCredit and Walgreens brands; payments and financing solutions in the apparel, specialty retail, outdoor, music, and luxury industries, such as American Eagle, Dick's Sporting Goods, Guitar Center, Kawasaki, Pandora, Polaris, Suzuki, and Sweetwater. The company offers its credit products through programs established with a group of national and regional retailers, local merchants, manufacturers, buying groups, industry associations, and healthcare service providers; and deposit products through various channels, such as digital and print. It serves digital, health and wellness, retail, home, auto, telecommunications, pet, outdoor, and other industries. The company was founded in 1932 and is headquartered in Stamford, Connecticut.

Dominican Republic External Debt: DOD: Use of IMF Credit and SDR Allocations: Use of IMF Credit data was reported at 480.385 USD mn in 2023. This records a decrease from the previous number of 635.345 USD mn for 2022. Dominican Republic External Debt: DOD: Use of IMF Credit and SDR Allocations: Use of IMF Credit data is updated yearly, averaging 122.760 USD mn from Dec 1970 (Median) to 2023, with 54 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 1.302 USD bn in 2011 and a record low of 0.000 USD mn in 2019. Dominican Republic External Debt: DOD: Use of IMF Credit and SDR Allocations: Use of IMF Credit data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Dominican Republic – Table DO.World Bank.IDS: External Debt: Debt Outstanding, Debt Ratio and Debt Service: Annual.

United States - Credit Unions; Debt Securities; Asset, Level was 359332.00000 Mil. of $ in April of 2025, according to the United States Federal Reserve. Historically, United States - Credit Unions; Debt Securities; Asset, Level reached a record high of 412804.00000 in January of 2022 and a record low of 50.00000 in October of 1946. Trading Economics provides the current actual value, an historical data chart and related indicators for United States - Credit Unions; Debt Securities; Asset, Level - last updated from the United States Federal Reserve on November of 2025.

Argentina External Debt: Total External Debt per Capita data was reported at 0.006 USD mn in 2023. This records a decrease from the previous number of 0.006 USD mn for 2022. Argentina External Debt: Total External Debt per Capita data is updated yearly, averaging 0.003 USD mn from Dec 1970 (Median) to 2023, with 54 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 0.007 USD mn in 2019 and a record low of 0.000 USD mn in 1970. Argentina External Debt: Total External Debt per Capita data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Argentina – Table AR.World Bank.IDS: External Debt: Debt Outstanding, Debt Ratio and Debt Service: Annual. Total external debt is debt owed to nonresidents repayable in currency, goods, or services. Total external debt is the sum of public, publicly guaranteed, and private nonguaranteed long-term debt, use of IMF credit, and short-term debt. Short-term debt includes all debt having an original maturity of one year or less and interest in arrears on long-term debt. Data are in current U.S. dollars.

Graph and download economic data for Personal Saving Rate (PSAVERT) from Jan 1959 to Aug 2025 about savings, personal, rate, and USA.