04/29/2026
"The hidden cost of debt ..
'Americans are already in serious delinquency, and the picture does not show signs of improving,' said Austin Kilgore, an analyst with the Achieve Center for Consumer Insights. In a recent survey, Achieve, a digital personal finance company, found that more than half of consumers (51%) have taken one or more risky financial actions after falling short on what they owe — including drawing down emergency savings, missing payments on existing debt or skipping medical treatment.
'What’s important to understand is that the longer this goes on, the deeper the hole becomes,' Kilgore said. 'Once a consumer starts missing payments and delaying (or forgoing) health care, more negative actions take place and the situation becomes harder to reverse,' Kilgore added..."
It is funny this article talks about ways to dig yourself out of the financial hole. It mentions Debt Settlement but not personal bankruptcy. There are benefits to filing bankruptcy.
We analyzed consumer debt data to find where Americans are most burdened by debt — and whether they’re treading water or struggling to stay afloat.