Consumer stress escalates as the share of credit card holders making only minimum payments hit a 12-year high in the third quarter of 2024. The share of credit card holders making minimum payments rose over 10%, continuing an upward trend since 2021, driven by soaring interest rates and rising delinquencies. Credit card delinquency rates climbed more than 3%, more than double the pandemic-era low of nearly 1% in 2021. Rising costs force nearly half of surveyed consumers to rely on credit cards for essentials, risking prolonged debt.