Canadians are facing financial precarity with concerns about inflation, rising interest rates, and personal debt, with over 50% of Canadians saying they are only $200 away from being unable to meet their financial obligations.
Canadian millennials, especially homeowners, are expected to face significant economic damage and high interest costs in the coming months due to rising interest rates, according to a report by RBC, leaving them vulnerable to job losses and straining their high levels of debt.
Canadian mortgage borrowers are increasingly opting for fixed interest terms, with a record 95% of mortgage originations in June being fixed rate, reflecting a desire to avoid short-term interest rate hikes while not missing out on potential rate cuts in the future.
Despite reaching record levels of total credit card debt and household debt, Americans are actually managing their debt better than in the past due to inflation masking the impact on balances and lower debt-to-deposit levels, according to an analysis by WalletHub. However, the rising trajectory of credit card debt and the increasing number of households carrying balances raise concerns, especially considering the high interest rates, which can take more than 17 years to pay off and cost thousands of dollars in interest. Meanwhile, savers have the opportunity to earn higher returns on cash due to higher inflation and interest rates.
Consumer debt, including auto-loans and credit card balances, is increasing in the United States, but strong government intervention and temporary relief measures have created a cushion of extra cash savings, leading to a positive outcome for Bitcoin (BTC) according to Cointelegraph analyst Marcel Pechman.
Canadian homeowners are facing higher borrowing costs as mortgage data from Royal Bank of Canada and Toronto-Dominion Bank show an increase in mortgages with longer amortization periods.
The steep increase in public debt worldwide over the past decade is unlikely to be reversed due to factors such as population aging, rising interest rates, and political challenges, according to a research paper presented at the Kansas City Federal Reserve's annual central banking symposium. Governments will need to manage high debt levels through spending limits, potential tax increases, and improved banking regulations.
Gross domestic product (GDP) grew at a rate of 2.1% in the second quarter of 2023, driven by consumer spending, while the Federal Reserve is considering raising interest rates again despite a drop in GDP growth; Americans are increasingly turning to credit cards in a high-interest rate environment, leading to rising credit card debt.
Canada's economy unexpectedly contracted in the second quarter, raising concerns of a possible recession, as declines in housing investment and slower exports and household spending impacted growth. This is likely to lead the central bank to hold interest rates steady.
The Canadian government is facing higher debt servicing costs as interest rates rise, resulting in billions of additional dollars spent on interest payments and less money available for other government priorities, potentially leading to difficult decisions about cutting spending or increasing taxes.
U.S. consumers have accumulated $43 billion in additional credit card debt during Q2 2022, three times the average amount since the Great Recession, and credit card interest rates have soared to over 20%, raising concerns about the impact of inflation and rising interest rates on consumers' ability to pay off their balances. However, some economists argue that higher wages are helping consumers keep pace with their debt, and the overall rate of charge-offs remains low. Nonetheless, the combination of spent-down pandemic savings and the resumption of federal student loan payments could pose challenges for lower-income borrowers and hinder consumer spending.
Despite increased household wealth in the US, millions of households are struggling financially due to inflation, high interest rates, and rising living costs, which have led to record levels of debt and limited access to credit.
US companies have experienced a 176% increase in debt defaults in the first eight months of 2023 compared to the same period in 2022, with high interest rates pushing businesses into financial distress, particularly in the media and entertainment sector.
Global debt reached a record $307 trillion in Q2 2023, driven by the United States and Japan, despite rising interest rates hampering bank credit, according to the Institute of International Finance (IIF).
The Federal Reserve's aggressive rate-hiking campaign has led to higher borrowing rates for consumers, with the average interest rate for a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage reaching a two-decade high of 7.18% and credit card interest rates exceeding 20%.
