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Consumer Debt Score Stabilizes

NFCC gauge shows decline in people’s financial distress.

Published

6 months ago

November 23, 2023

INSTORE Staff

Prices at the gas pump are among the factors impacting consumers’ budgets. PHOTOGRAPHY: Ladanifer/iStock.com

As prime holiday shopping season begins, there is a glimmer of hope for millions of Americans who have been struggling with higher prices and debt obligations. The latest NFCC Consumer Debt Score, which gauges how comfortable average Americans are with their level of unsecured debt, saw a moderate decline to 64 during the third quarter of 2023, a sign that more Americans have been able to create a budget and stick to it.

“For only the second time since pandemic-related stimulus payments allowed many families to pay down existing debt, we saw a small but notable decline in consumer financial distress,” said NFCC CEO Mike Croxson.

The NFCC Consumer Debt Score has a baseline of 50, indicating a medium level of distress among consumers about their ability to repay their debts, particularly credit card debt. Even with a decrease from a score of 66 during the second quarter of 2023, the NFCC Consumer Debt Score has risen by 67 percent since its low in the second quarter of 2021 as many families returned to pre-pandemic routines of shopping, dining out and travel, coupled with record-setting inflation on everyday items such as groceries and gas. This substantial increase highlights a noteworthy change in consumer financial distress over a relatively short period of time.

Click here for more from the gauge.

She Wanted to Spend More Time with Her Kids. She Called Wilkerson.

Your children are precious. More precious than gold? Absolutely! Just ask Lesley Ann Davis, owner of Lesley Ann Jewels, an independent jewelry store that — until the end of 2023 — had quite a following in Houston, Texas. To spend more time with her four sons, all in high school, she decided to close her store. Luckily, she was familiar with Wilkerson and called them as soon as she knew she wanted to move on to bigger, better and more family-focused things. Was she happy with her decision? Yes, she was. Says Davis, “Any owner looking to make that life change, looking to retire, looking to close, looking for a pause in their career, I would recommend Wilkerson. Hands down!”