Study pinpoints states with biggest credit card debt declines

Wyoming, Arkansas, Louisiana, North Dakota and Indiana were among the states with the biggest quarterly declines in credit card debt, according to CreditKarma's recently released U.S. Credit Score Climate Report. Specifically, Wyoming residents' credit card debt dropped 23 percent from December 2011 to March 2012. Arkansas, Louisiana and North Dakota all saw dips of 18 percent, while Indiana's debt decreased by 17 percent. The Jacksonville Business Journal reports that in Florida specifically, the average credit card debt was $6,212 - above the national average of $5,871. "Consumers continue to pay down their credit card debt," said Ken Lin, CEO of CreditKarma.com. "But as the economy improves it will be interesting to see if consumers can keep that commitment or if they revert back to their old habits." Researchers also found that when it came to student loan debt, 37 states are carrying a bigger burden than they were one year ago. The most notable increases were seen in North Dakota (9 percent), Maine (7 percent), Utah (6 percent) and South Carolina (6 percent). The average consumer credit score is 660 - five points below the March 2011 average of 665.