Americans' debt problems are flashing a warning not seen since the Great Recession

• For the three-year period ended 2025, the portion of families behind on loan payments soared from about 12% in the prior survey to nearly 20%, according to a Fed survey released Friday.
• That was the highest level since 2010, just as the nation was recovering from the Great Recession.
• Higher earners saw their net worth soar during the period, with those in the top income group reporting an increase of 31%.

A man shops for groceries at a store in Arlington, Virginia, the United States, on June 10, 2026.

Xinhua News Agency | Xinhua News Agency | Getty Images

The ability of U.S. families to stay current on their debts worsened over the past three years, hitting levels not seen since the aftermath of the global financial crisis, the Federal Reserve reported Friday.

In the central bank's Survey of Consumer Finances, researchers found that while wealth disparities narrowed somewhat, the ability to meet debt payments deteriorated significantly.