How Your Debt Compares With the Average American’s

How Your Debt Compares With the Average American’s

From Money Girl by QuickAndDirtyTips.com

March 25, 2026 · 15 min · Episode 1006

About this episode

This episode discusses how individual debt compares to the average American's debt across different age groups and types.

With U.S. consumer debt hitting a record $18.8 trillion, it’s time to see how your balances measure up. In this episode, Laura breaks down average debt by age group and type—from Gen Z’s $35k average to Gen X’s $158k peak—to help you determine if your debt is "healthy" or a hurdle to retirement. Key Takeaways: The Big 4: Current averages for mortgages, auto loans, student loans, and credit cards. Debt Rules of Thumb: Learn the 30/30/3 rule for housing and the 20/4/10 rule for car buying. Know Your Ratios: How to calculate your Debt-to-Income (DTI) ratio like a lender. Payoff Strategies: Why high-interest debt is "bad" and how to use consolidation or balance transfers to escape it. Whether you're looking to buy a home or just sleep better at night, learn how to stop being "average" and start building wealth. Find a transcript on your podcast player.  Have a money question? Send an email to  money@quickanddirtytips.com  or leave a voicemail at (302) 364-0308. Find Money Girl on  Facebook  and  Twitter , or  subscribe to the newsletter  for more personal finance tips. Money Girl is a part of  Quick and Dirty Tips . Links…

People in this episode

Host: Laura

Topics covered

  • debt comparison
  • average debt
  • debt-to-income ratio
  • payoff strategies
  • personal finance

Keywords

  • consumer debt
  • mortgages
  • auto loans
  • student loans
  • credit cards
  • debt rules
  • wealth building

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: QuickAndDirtyTips.com

Places: U.S.

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