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.