Across America: Debt On The Rise Credit card debt is skyrocketing as Americans' savings have gone from near record-high to near record-low in two years. These are the stories of the nation's relationship with debt.
This illustration picture shows debit and credit cards arranged on a desk.
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Across America: Debt On The Rise

Yazmin Lopez, here at home in Madison, Wis., first learned about credit scores from a personal finance book she picked up at Goodwill a few years after coming to the U.S. as a teenager. Lianne Milton for NPR hide caption

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Lianne Milton for NPR

Welcome to America! Now learn to be in debt

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Stephanie Roth and her three children. Roth works full time but struggles to keep up with bills as prices rise. Like millions of Americans, she has found herself in mounting credit card debt. Stephanie Roth hide caption

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Stephanie Roth

Credit Card Nation: How we went from record savings to record debt in just two years

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This illustration picture shows debit and credit cards arranged on a desk on April 6, 2020 in Arlington, Va. Americans are using their credit cards more to pay for everyday expenses at a time when interest rates are rising. Olivier Douliery/AFP via Getty Images hide caption

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Olivier Douliery/AFP via Getty Images

Americans are piling up credit card debt — and it could prove very costly

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New research tackles the central question about "buy now, pay later": Does it encourage people to overspend? Peter Dazeley/Getty Images hide caption

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Peter Dazeley/Getty Images

In a year marked by inflation, 'buy now, pay later' is the hottest holiday trend

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