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Credit card debt reaches record $1.29 trillion, New York Fed reports

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Coverage spectrum

Covered by 7 outlets across the spectrum.

7 articles in total. The spectrum counts each outlet once and leaves opinion out. How we measure bias

According to the New York Fed’s household debt report, released Tuesday, credit card balances rose $22 billion in the third quarter to a record $1.29 trillion, up 4.2 percent from a year earlier. Total household debt grew $334 billion from July to September to a record $19.1 trillion. The report shows about 5 percent of household debt in some stage of delinquency, up 0.3 percentage points from the previous quarter, according to the Daily Caller’s account of the data. The Hill reports that some Democratic lawmakers are pushing to cap credit card interest rates.

Headline and summary written by Mantle’s AI from the coverage below, under published rules. Editors read every story. How this works

What happened

Key points

Each point shows who reports it, from Far Left to Far Right.

  1. Credit card balances rose $22 billion in the third quarter to a record $1.29 trillion, according to the New York Fed.

    Reported byFar Left1Center3Far Right1See the outletsHide the outlets
    Far Left
    The Daily Beast
    Center
    The Hill, NewsNation, CNBC
    Far Right
    The Daily Caller

  2. Total household debt rose $334 billion in the third quarter to a record $19.1 trillion.

    Reported byFar Left1Center1Far Right1See the outletsHide the outlets
    Far Left
    The Daily Beast
    Center
    Scripps News
    Far Right
    The Daily Caller

  3. Credit card balances are up 4.2 percent from a year earlier, according to the New York Fed.

    One outletThe Daily Beast· Far Left

  4. Some Democratic lawmakers are pushing to cap credit card interest rates.

    One side only: the centerReported byCenter2See the outletsHide the outlets
    Center
    The Hill, NewsNation

  5. About 5 percent of household debt is in some stage of delinquency, up 0.3 percentage points from the previous quarter, according to the New York Fed.

    One outletThe Daily Caller· Far Right

How each side tells it

Compare views

All sides report that credit card balances hit a record $1.29 trillion in the third quarter, per the New York Fed. The main difference is tone: the Daily Beast and Daily Caller use charged headlines, while center outlets state the figures plainly and add the push to cap rates.

  • the left

    2 outlets

    The Daily Beast’s headline calls the record “Jaw-Dropping” and presents the data as an alarming story of Americans in debt, a more emotive framing than the data release itself.

    U.S. Credit Card Debt Hits Sensational language“Jaw-Dropping”The word adds drama beyond the reported figure, which the facts can carry without it.More neutral: New RecordDisagree with this highlight? New Record
    The Daily BeastFar LeftAll left-leaning headlines

  • the center

    4 outlets

    Center headlines state the record New York Fed figures plainly, with one emphasizing total household debt and another the push to cap interest rates.

    Credit card debt climbs to a record $1.29 trillion, New York Fed research finds
    CNBCCenterAll center headlines

  • the right

    1 outlet

    The Daily Caller’s headline is the most charged in the set, describing Americans as being strangled by record credit card debt while citing the same New York Fed figures.

    Americans Now Being Loaded verb“Strangled”Describing consumers as strangled uses a violent image that asserts a severity the reported figures do not state.More neutral: squeezed byDisagree with this highlight? By Highest Amount Of Credit Card Debt In History
    The Daily CallerFar RightAll right-leaning headlines

The words they chose

Language to notice

Words that carry a judgement beyond the facts. Tap a highlighted word anywhere on the page to see why.

  • Left2

    drowning in credit card debtJaw-Dropping

  • Center0

    No loaded words in its own voice.

  • Right1

    Strangled

In the outlets’ own words

  • Sensational language

    drowning in credit card debtMore neutral: carrying credit card debt

    The metaphor presents a generalization about all Americans as dramatic distress, beyond what the balance figures show.

    Americans are drowning in credit card debt, according to new data from the Federal Reserve Bank of New York.

    Used byThe Daily Beast (Far Left)

  • Sensational language

    Jaw-DroppingMore neutral: New Record

    The word adds drama beyond the reported figure, which the facts can carry without it.

    Credit Card Debt Hits Jaw-Dropping New Record

    Used byThe Daily Beast (Far Left)

  • Loaded verb

    StrangledMore neutral: squeezed by

    Describing consumers as strangled uses a violent image that asserts a severity the reported figures do not state.

    Americans Now Being Strangled By Highest Amount Of Credit Card Debt In History

    Used byThe Daily Caller (Far Right)

See the full language guide

See for yourself

Side by side

What each side leads with and what it leaves out. Open a side to read its headlines.

From the left

2 outlets

Leads with

  • record credit card balances
  • Americans struggling with debt
  • total household debt

Leaves out

  • push to cap credit card interest rates
  • rise in debt in some stage of delinquency

Reported by other sides, not found in this side’s coverage.

See the 2 headlines from the leftHide the headlines
  • NBC NewsLeft

    Record credit card balances, fewer trips to McDonald’s: More signs of strain ahead of the holidays

    Big credit card bills are supposed to show up after the holiday shopping season.

    Read at NBC News (opens in a new tab)
  • The Daily BeastFar Left

    U.S. Credit Card Debt Hits Sensational language“Jaw-Dropping”The word adds drama beyond the reported figure, which the facts can carry without it.More neutral: New RecordDisagree with this highlight? New Record

    Americans are Sensational language“drowning in credit card debt”The metaphor presents a generalization about all Americans as dramatic distress, beyond what the balance figures show.More neutral: carrying credit card debtDisagree with this highlight?, according to new data from the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. Credit card balances rose by $22 billion in the third quarter of this year, reaching a record $1.29 trillion. Balances are up 4.2 percent from last year. …

    Read at The Daily Beast (opens in a new tab)

From the center

4 outlets

Leads with

  • record credit card balances
  • total household debt rising
  • Democratic push to cap interest rates
  • strain on household budgets
See the 4 headlines from the centerHide the headlines
  • Scripps NewsCenter

    Americans are carrying a record $19.1 trillion in household debt

    A new report from the Federal Reserve Bank of New York indicates that Americans are carrying a record amount of household debt. The report shows household debt grew by $334 billion last quarter, pushing the total to $19.1 trillion. …

    Read at Scripps News (opens in a new tab)
  • The HillCenter

    Credit card debt mounts amid Democrats' push to cap interest rates

    New data shows Americans’ credit card balances are mounting, as some Democratic lawmakers push for capping interest rates. Credit card balances increased by $22 billion in the third quarter, an increase of 1.7 percent relative to the second quarter, the Federal Reserve Bank of …

    Read at The Hill (opens in a new tab)

    Also published by NewsNation. It counts once.

  • CNBCCenter

    Credit card debt climbs to a record $1.29 trillion, New York Fed research finds

    As high prices continue to strain household budgets, many consumers have turned to credit cards to help make ends meet.

    Read at CNBC (opens in a new tab)
  • NewsNationCenterHill report

    Credit card debt mounts amid Democrats’ push to cap interest rates

    NewsNation published a report that is shown in full at The Hill.

    Read at NewsNation (opens in a new tab)

From the right

1 outlet

Leads with

  • consumers squeezed by living costs
  • record credit card balances
  • rising delinquency
  • inflation and gas prices

Leaves out

  • Democratic push to cap interest rates

Reported by other sides, not found in this side’s coverage.

See the headline from the rightHide the headlines
  • The Daily CallerFar Right

    Americans Now Being Loaded verb“Strangled”Describing consumers as strangled uses a violent image that asserts a severity the reported figures do not state.More neutral: squeezed byDisagree with this highlight? By Highest Amount Of Credit Card Debt In History

    American consumers are accumulating a record amount of credit card debt, according to the Federal Reserve Bank of New York’s household debt report released Tuesday. Consumers dealing with the increased cost of living have continued to grow their credit card debt, CNBC reported. …

    Read at The Daily Caller (opens in a new tab)

The stories you read build My Mix, a private picture of which sides cover the stories you choose, kept on this device. What is My Mix?

The left is Far Left and Left together. The right is Right and Far Right together. Every outlet keeps its own five-point rating.

Who reported it when

How the coverage built up

  • Left

    1 hr later

    Its first report, Nov 10, 1:15 PM EST

  • Center

    First to report

    CNBC, Nov 10, 12:16 PM EST

  • Right

    23 hr 49 min later

    Its first report, Nov 11, 12:05 PM EST

See the order the outlets reported inHide the order
  1. CNBCCenterNov 10, 12:16 PM EST
  2. The Daily BeastFar LeftNov 10, 1:15 PM EST
  3. The HillCenterNov 10, 5:58 PM EST
  4. NewsNationCenterNov 11, 8:39 AM EST
  5. The Daily CallerFar RightNov 11, 12:05 PM EST
  6. Scripps NewsCenterNov 11, 12:24 PM EST
  7. NBC NewsLeftNov 11, 5:28 PM EST

Times are the ones the outlets published in their own feeds, in Eastern time. Opinion is left out.

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