Total U.S. household debt for the third quarter of this year was nearly $13-trillion -- up $116-billion from the second quarter. In Houston, it can be a double whammy for Harvey victims.
Harvey victims maxed out their credit cards during the flood and now they've got to buy Christmas presents.
"We have a 4.3, 4.2 percent unemployment rate, which is fantastic over history, but if you look at the debt piling up people are not paying their bills."
Houston economist John Bott says you need to make paying off credit cards a priority.
"You can't offset it in bankruptcy court; that type of debt is gonna stay with you for the rest of your life. So that's one of the must pay bills; you don't wanna get too far behind on because the penalties are steep, the interest rate is steep -- you gotta pay those off first."
The debt level is more than $600-billion higher than the same period last year.