Events & Resources

Learning Center
Read through guides, explore resource hubs, and sample our coverage.
Learn More
Events
Register for an upcoming webinar and track which industry events our analysts attend.
Learn More
Podcasts
Listen to our podcast, Behind the Numbers for the latest news and insights.
Learn More

About

Our Story
Learn more about our mission and how EMARKETER came to be.
Learn More
Our Clients
Key decision-makers share why they find EMARKETER so critical.
Learn More
Our People
Take a look into our corporate culture and view our open roles.
Join the Team
Our Methodology
Rigorous proprietary data vetting strips biases and produces superior insights.
Learn More
Newsroom
See our latest press releases, news articles or download our press kit.
Learn More
Contact Us
Speak to a member of our team to learn more about EMARKETER.
Contact Us

Student loan debt burden poses to disrupt financial health gains

The news: Serious delinquency rates held steady YoY, while credit card volume growth continued to slow, per a report from the Federal Reserve Bank of New York.

  • 90-day delinquency rates decreased from 7.18% in Q2 2024 to 6.93% in Q2 2025.
  • Total credit card debt rose to $1.209 trillion, growing 5.9% YoY—a sharp slowdown from 10.8% a year ago and more in line with pre-pandemic levels. 

What this means: Declining 90-day delinquency rates suggest that consumer financial health, while fragile, is on the mend, mirroring data from VantageScore’s Credit Gauge.

Brittle progress: While credit card delinquencies trended in a positive direction, the surge of student loan delinquencies is poised to be crippling.

  • Outstanding student loan debt hit $1.64 trillion in Q2 2025.
  • The flow into serious delinquency shot up 12 percentage points YoY to 12.88% as credit bureaus resumed reporting student loan defaults.

Our take: As middle-class educated professionals are slapped with resumed student loan payments, many will falter in the face of reaccelerating inflation and a weakening job market—especially if faced with possible wage garnishment. 

As a result, we could see a reversal of improving credit card debt trends, as consumers struggle to manage existing debts amid mounting financial pressures.

You've read 0 of 2 free articles this month.

Get more articles - create your free account today!