Most consumers have not buried themselves in new credit card debt

There's bad news and good news about credit. Credit card usage spiked during the lock downs, but it was mainly spent on groceries and necessities.

Ted Rossman with Bankrate.com says consumers have behaved themselves.

"I was really worried that we'd see a tremendous spike in credit card delinquencies and defaults and so far is hasn't happened and hopefully it won't happen.

Rossman says another round of stimulus might be a good idea.

"The government assistance has really helped; everything from stimulus checks to the PPP (Payroll Protection Program) to expanded unemployment benefits -- this has really helped get the money to people quickly."

Bankrate says while overall spending is down, credit card usage at grocery stores and restaurants were both up 70% in four months.

Rossman says the good news is, consumers mostly used cards at grocery stores and for necessities, not electronics and luxuries.

"Even though we're far from the worst-case scenario and we did see a positive jobs report last week, I still think there's some slack out there and some additional stimulus could help."

Bankrate found 83% of those who used cards to order grocery delivery had a problem with the service.


Sponsored Content

Sponsored Content