Credit by the Numbers
The official figures behind the credit news, as their publishers released them and an editor checked them. Each one says what period it covers and who published it, and compares only with that publisher’s previous figure — different publishers measure things differently.
- Average credit card rate22.38%October 2026 · WalletHub
- 30-year mortgage rate7.40%week of Oct. 15, 2026 · Freddie Mac
- New-car loan rate6.35%Q2 2026 · NerdWallet
What each one measures
- Household debt
- All U.S. household debt — mortgages, auto loans, student loans, credit cards and more. Usually from the New York Fed, every quarter.
- Credit card balances
- What Americans owe on credit cards. Usually from the New York Fed, every quarter.
- Average credit card rate
- The average APR on credit cards, as the publisher measures it (for example, on accounts that paid interest). Usually from the Federal Reserve (G.19) or another named source.
- Credit card delinquency
- The share of card balances behind on payments, as the publisher defines it (for example, 90 days or more). Usually from the New York Fed or the Federal Reserve.
- Student loan delinquency
- The share of student loan balances seriously behind, as the publisher defines it. Usually from the New York Fed.
- 30-year mortgage rate
- The average rate on a 30-year fixed mortgage. Usually from Freddie Mac, every week.
- New-car loan rate
- The average interest rate on new-car loans, as the publisher measures it. Usually from Experian, Edmunds or another named source.
- Average FICO Score
- The average FICO Score in the U.S. Usually from FICO.
About these figures: averages and totals describe the whole country, not you. Your own rate depends on your credit, the lender and the loan. Figures are revised by their publishers from time to time.