Credit debt still a major problem

New reports and studies have recently noted the major impact student loans and medical bills currently have on debt in the United States. Consumer credit issues from credit card debt is still as prominent as ever, though. The Q4 2011 Credit Card Debt Study recently released by CardHub reported that the net credit card debt accumulated in 2011 was nearly $48 billion dollars. The figure is 424 percent more than the 2010 debt accrued and 577 percent more than 2009. Only the first quarter of 2011 saw a decrease of debt relative to other years. USNews cited credit rewards as a potential factor that is driving consumers into debt by using credit cards so often. Senior financial analyst at Bankrate.com Greg McBride told the source that while only 35 percent of credit card carriers pay their balance off each month, they do so in part to accumulate such rewards. Bankrate.com published a February 2012 survey that indicated 31 percent of parents and 22 percent of nonparents have more money tied up in credit card debt than they do in their savings accounts. The source reported that only 40 percent of people who make under $30,000 per year have more savings than credit card debt.