Credit Card Debt
What Is Credit Card Debt?
Credit card debt is a type of unsecured liability that is incurred through revolving credit card loans. Borrowers can accumulate credit card debt by opening numerous credit card accounts with varying terms and credit limits. All of a borrower’s credit card accounts will be reported and tracked by credit bureaus. The majority of outstanding debt on a borrower’s credit report is typically credit card debt, since these accounts are revolving and remain open indefinitely.



Understanding Credit Card Debt
Generally, credit card debt refers to the accumulated outstanding balances that many borrowers carry over from month to month. Credit card debt can be useful for borrowers seeking to make purchases with deferred payments over time. This type of debt does carry some of the industry’s highest interest rates. However, credit card borrowers do have the option to pay off their balances each month to save on interest over the long term.
Benefits of Credit Card Debt
Credit cards are one of the most popular forms of revolving credit and offer numerous benefits for borrowers. Credit cards are issued with revolving credit limits that borrowers can utilize as needed. Payments are typically much lower than a standard non-revolving loan. Users also have the option to pay off balances to avoid high-interest costs. Additionally, most credit cards come with reward incentives such as cash back or points that can be used toward future purchases or even to pay down outstanding balances.
Credit Bureau Reporting and Analysis: What to Know
Lenders report credit card debt level balances to credit bureaus each month along with a borrower’s relevant credit activity.2 Thus, credit cards can be an excellent way for borrowers to build out a favorable credit profile over time. However, negative activity such as delinquent payments, high balances, and a high number of hard inquiries in a short period of time can also lead to problems for credit card borrowers.
Lenders will also report a borrower’s payment activity to credit bureaus each month.
Delinquent payments detract from a borrower’s credit score while on-time payments help their credit score. Maintaining on-time payments helps a borrower to achieve a higher credit score and qualify for better lending terms.
Why You Should Get Your Credit Report
Disputing negative items
Negative items on your credit report are pretty much always bad. The good news is, if the negative item is incorrect, unfair, or unverified, you can work to fix it.
Not sure if a negative item is hurting your score?
Find out in as little as 5 minutes from our trusted sources below.
