Average household debt grew by 7.3 per cent to $261,492 in 2021-22, according to the latest figures from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS).
As of September 2022, consumer debt is at $16.5 trillion, with the average American debt among consumers at $96,371. The overall debt figure includes credit card balances, student loans, mortgages and more.
What is the average credit card debt in Australia? As of August 2022, the average credit card debt was reported to be $2907. This is a slight improvement of figures from 2019, where debt was estimated to be just over A$3200.
Our 2022 Poverty in Australia Snapshot found that there are 3.3 million people (13.4%) living below the poverty line of 50% of median income, including 761,000 children (16.6%). In dollar figures, the poverty line works out to $489 a week fir a single adult and $1,027 a week for a couple with 2 children.
Six-figure salary needed to afford Sydney mortgage
This modal can be closed by pressing the Escape key or activating the close button. The average Australian would need to earn over $300,000 a year to consider themselves as officially "rich", new research has found.
In general, you never want your minimum credit card payments to exceed 10 percent of your net income. Net income is the amount of income you take home after taxes and other deductions. You use the net income for this ratio because that's the amount of income you have available to spend on bills and other expenses.
Credit cards are another example of a type of debt that generally doesn't have forgiveness options. Credit card debt forgiveness is unlikely as credit card issuers tend to expect you to repay the money you borrow, and if you don't repay that money, your debt can end up in collections.
You might not have to pay an old unsecured debt if it has been more than 6 years (or 3 years in the Northern Territory) since you last made a payment or acknowledged the debt in writing. This is called a statute barred debt.
But as a general rule of thumb, a debt/income ratio of 10% or less is outstanding. If it's between 10 to 20%, your credit is good, and you can probably borrow more. But once you hit 20% or above it's time to take a serious look at your debt load.
Borrowing to invest - using debt to build wealth
Known as 'gearing', if you invest wisely in assets that increase in value, the income from the investment will pay off the debt. In Australia, many people invest in property and shares. Borrowing to invest can be a savvy way to build wealth over time.
Total state debt across the six states is set to reach $688 billion (27% of GSP) by 2025-26, led by Victoria ($226 billion) and NSW ($221 billion).
Debt-to-income ratio is your monthly debt obligations compared to your gross monthly income (before taxes), expressed as a percentage. A good debt-to-income ratio is less than or equal to 36%. Any debt-to-income ratio above 43% is considered to be too much debt.
How much debt is a lot? The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau recommends you keep your debt-to-income ratio below 43%. Statistically, people with debts exceeding 43 percent often have trouble making monthly payments. The highest ratio you can have and still be able to obtain a qualified mortgage is also 43 percent.
Generally, a good debt ratio is around 1 to 1.5. However, the ideal debt ratio will vary depending on the industry, as some industries use more debt financing than others. Capital-intensive industries like the financial and manufacturing industries often have higher ratios that can be greater than 2.
Alimony and child support. Certain unpaid taxes, such as tax liens. However, some federal, state, and local taxes may be eligible for discharge if they date back several years. Debts for willful and malicious injury to another person or property.
The bottom line: Credit card debt is considered "bad" debt because of its high interest rates and low minimum payments, and the fact that it isn't used to buy appreciating assets. Use your credit cards for the rewards and other benefits, but pay the balance in full each month.
Credit card balances jump 15%, highest annual leap in over 20 years, as Americans fall deeper in debt. As day-to-day expenses continue to rise, Americans are taking on more debt. Overall, credit card balances jumped 15% in the third quarter of 2022, notching the largest year-over-year increase in more than 20 years.
According to The Motley Fool, 2021 Personal Capital data shows that its members have an average credit card balance of $6,100 and that those in their forties have the highest average balance: $9,379. Younger 20-somethings and 30-somethings have average credit card balances of $3,511 and $6,568, respectively.
Lots of people have credit card debt, and the average balance in the U.S. is $6,194. About 52% of Americans owe $2,500 or less on their credit cards. If you're looking at $5,000 or higher, you should really get motivated to knock out that debt quickly. The sooner you do, the less money you'll lose to interest.
High-interest credit card debt can devastate even the most thought-out financial plan. On average, Americans carry $5,315 in credit card debt, but if your balance is much higher—say, $20,000 or beyond—you may be feeling hopeless. Paying off a high credit card balance can be a daunting task, but it's possible.
It then goes on to describe those middle income Australians as individuals earning between $120,000 and $160,000 a year.
So if you're on $100k or more, congratulations, you're in the top 20% of Aussie income earners. If not, don't worry, you're in the good company of 80% of Aussies.
1. Surgeons: $394,303. Taking out the top spot on this list and earning a whopping average of $394,303 per year are surgeons.