Debt, in and of itself, if not always a bad thing. For example, China has lent the US many billions of dollars by buying Treasury bonds over the years. We pay interest to China, they in turn get a return on their investment commensurate with the risk they’re taking, and in due time, when the bonds mature, they get their money back. Or not.

Drowning in debt implies an inability to not only pay interest to whomever loaned you money but includes a very real threat to the lender than you’ll never be able to pay back what was lent to you.

At the micro level, each of us has to find a way to deal with this and hope it doesn’t lead to bankruptcy. At the macro level, it has serious implications for the health of our national economy.

So these words below reflect a little of each; what it means, why it’s important, and how it all might play out over the coming years.

by Dan Primack, Dion Rabouin, Courtenay Brown \ May 17, 2019

Mounting U.S. debt, and rising credit-card delinquencies, are creating what one big bond investor describes as a “cocktail of economic risk.”

Why it matters: These realities run contrary to the overall narrative of a strong U.S. economy.

What’s happening: The Federal Reserve warned that corporate America is taking on too much debt, Axios’ Dan Primack writes.

• Rising consumer debt is also a worry. U.S. banks are tightening their lending standards and raising rates on commercial loans and credit cards, according to Axios’ Dion Rabouin and Courtenay Brown.
• Credit card delinquency rates in Q1 hit the highest level since 2012, driven partly by a spike in overdue payments by people ages 18–29, according to the New York Federal Reserve.
• U.S. national debt is $1 trillion higher than the previous record.

What they’re saying: “Junk bonds are flying out the door once again. Deeply indebted companies are borrowing even more to pay equity holders.” (Bloomberg)

• On the consumer front: “Borrowers think life is good and income is rising, and … they overextend themselves,” said James Chessen, chief economist at the American Bankers Association. “You tend to see more of that behavior” toward the end of an economic cycle.

A recent survey of bank officers shows U.S. institutions are tightening their lending standards and raising rates on commercial loans and credit cards.

Details: Bankers say they have increasing concern about future economic growth, despite continued U.S. labor market strength and solid economic fundamentals. The data banks are seeing runs contrary to the overall narrative of a strong U.S. economy.

Driving the news: Credit card delinquency rates in Q1 hit the highest level since 2012, driven in part by a spike in overdue payments by people ages 18–29, according to a report out this week from the New York Federal Reserve.

What’s happening: In addition to the inability to make credit card payments, the rise in younger borrowers’ delinquency rates — by far the highest among all age groups — reflects the cohort jumping into the credit card market at a faster rate, as well as the eagerness of banks to latch on to younger consumers. Still, the delinquency rate remains well below that seen during the financial crisis.

• More young people are opening credit cards now than they did in the the past decade — about 52% in 2018 versus 46% in 2008, per the New York Fed — pushing up the likelihood of more delinquencies.
• Credit card accounts among young borrowers fell in 2009 following the passage of the Card Act, which added new rules for consumers under 21 looking to borrow and limited how much banks could advertise to young people.
• “There has been some recovery in credit card prevalence in recent years, consistent with increased issuance in card accounts,” according to the Fed.

Why it matters: After the financial crisis, young people had been largely debt-averse — particularly with credit cards — as a result of the the Great Recession. But that trend looks to be reversing.

• “Banks were a little concerned going forward and [expect to] tighten standards,” David Norris, head of U.S. credit at TwentyFour Asset Management, tells Axios.
• “I think from the viewpoint of the marketplace, if that’s going to continue … it works its way into consumer spending habits, consumer attitudes, and that can affect the demand side of the economy.”

That move comes as U.S. debt is $1 trillion higher than its previous record…

The N.Y. Fed’s latest report shows that total household debt increased by $124 billion in Q1. It was the 19th consecutive quarter with an increase, and household debt is now $993 billion higher than the previous peak of $12.68 trillion in the third quarter of 2008.

Between the lines: Delinquency rates are trending up again, and not just for younger consumers.

• The report found that seriously delinquent credit card balances have also risen for consumers aged 50–69.
• For borrowers aged 50–59 and 60–69, the 90-day delinquency rate increased by nearly 100 basis points each.

“People are probably extending themselves too much,” said TwentyFour’s David Norris, also noting that the headline numbers for Q1 U.S. GDP were a bit misleading.

• “Banks are seeing this currently and they’re beginning to get concerned about credit quality and the quality of borrowers and they’re trying to tighten standards. This is a signal that we need to watch out for.”

A deeper look at the credit card delinquencies that are steadily rising…

• In the Fed’s latest U.S. bank senior loan officers survey, which provided data from the fourth quarter of 2018, loan officers predicted more delinquencies this year as a result of the growth of “non-prime” borrowers. They’ve cited that as a reason for an anticipated pullback in credit and an increase in rates.
• U.S. card holders are expected to pay $122 billion just in interest charges this year. That’s 50% more than what they paid just 5 years ago.
• The average credit card assessed interest rate is now 16.91%. It was 13.14% in the first quarter of 2014.
• The average interest rate on retail cards is more than 25%.

The source article is here: https://tinyurl.com/y2xr9obw