In fact, if going into more debt was suddenly banned the U.S. economy would instantly hit a brick wall.  For the vast majority of us, our lifestyles simply cannot be funded by what we actually make.  So we use debt to bridge the difference, and this has particularly been true during the cost of living crisis.  Total household debt has now reached a grand total of 17.8 trillion dollars, and we continue to pile up more with no end in sight…

A quarterly report published this month by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York on household credit and debt found that between the first quarter of 2021 and the second quarter of 2024, credit card debt surged 48.1% while household debt — which includes mortgages and auto loans — rose by 21.6%.

In dollar terms, credit card debt rose from $770 billion in early 2021 to $1.14 trillion in the most recent quarter, while household debt increased from $14.64 trillion to $17.8 trillion in the same period.