The average consumer carries around $21,600 in non-mortgage debt, according to September 2025 Experian data.
In a survey by personal finance business Achieve.com and Money.com, nearly a third of Americans said their unsecured debt — such as balances on credit cards or personal loans not backed by collateral — increased over the last year. The higher those balances climb, the less likely a borrower is to feel in control.
And whether you earn $40,000 or $400,000 a year, ballooning debt can affect your life.
How debt affects the everyday
To manage growing balances, Achieve survey respondents holding “unmanageable” debt said they reduced spending on basic needs (47%), skipped a monthly bill or debt…