Florida Residents Are Drowning in Credit Card Debt

Those of us in Florida understand quite well how expensive it is just to live. Inflation, high cost of housing, and rapidly rising insurance premiums have taken a major toll out of our budgets. Add to that, credit card debt is mounting as many are using plastic just to get by. But it's not just here in Florida, other states are struggling, too.

In some states, the average credit card debt is particularly high, putting significant strain on household finances. Researchers from Invezz.com have taken a deep dive into the US states with the highest household credit card debt and amount of debt as a percentage to annual income.

Using data from the Federal Reserve Bank of New York they looked at average credit card debt for the fourth quarter of 2023. They also factored in the adjusted average household annual income for 2022 to show how much of people's income is going towards this debt.

The District of Columbia holds the highest average credit card debt at $5,190, which is 5.10% of the annual income. Alaska closely follows with an average credit card debt of $4,980, which represents 5.55% of the annual income.

Although 6 other states show a higher level of debt, you'll notice that Florida ranks higher in percentage of annual income at nearly 7%. Add in the stat that many Florida residents are also "severely cost burdened" when it comes to housing. Spending more than half of their income on housing. Being in this situation leads to cost cutting in other areas such as healthcare and healthy food, and putting it on the credit card when you do.

Here's where if gets worse. The average credit card interest rate is 27.65%, according to Forbes Advisor’s weekly credit card rates report. So carrying a balance of $4,540 would mean a monthly interest at $104.61. Over $100 a month on interest just to keep from going further into debt.

The Federal Reserve Bank of New York reported that "Total household debt rose by $184 billion to reach $17.69 trillion" in Q1 of 2024. Credit card balances, which are now at $1.12 trillion outstanding, are 13.1% above the level a year ago. The report also added "nearly 9 percent of credit card balances and 8 percent of auto loans (annualized) transitioned into delinquency." That was at the end of March, it appears things are getting worse.

People are also digging into more than just credit cards. Balances on home equity lines of credit (HELOC) increased by $16 billion, the eighth consecutive quarterly increase after 2022Q1, and there is now $376 billion in aggregate outstanding balances, according to the Fed. If you want to get deep into the numbers, here's the most recent report.

The European Central Bank and the Bank Of Canada both cut interest rates this week. The US Federal Reserve is expected to leave rates unchanged for now, but perhaps a rate cut could be on the horizon for Americans. The stock market seems to think so. But cutting rates too soon could lead to an uptick in inflation, so they need to time this right. Having a lower interest rate won't help much if everything gets more expensive again. It's not like prices really came down at all.

There are simple habits of millionaires, according to experts, that you can do now to help transform your finances. If you've been in the hole financially, then the idea of becoming a millionaire might seem out of reach. But, you can certainly learn from millionaires, and they can help you reach your financial goals. You really don't have anything to lose by adopting these easy, simple habits of millionaires, so get ready to learn about what behaviors to change and cashing in.

Before we get to those simple habits of millionaires that you can do now, let's look at some facts about millionaires. According to the Global Wealth Report 2023 by Credit Suisse, there were around 59.4 million millionaires in the world in 2022, a number that was down by about 3.5 million over the course of the year. What's really wild is that most adults in the world were making less than $10,000 a year in 2022, according to the report, coming in at around 53% of all adults in the world. Adults making between $10,000 and $100,000 increased the most, so far, this century, as they more than tripled from 503 million in 2000 to 1.8 billion in 2022. Their average annual income was about $33,573, which accounts for around 40% of the global average wealth.

So, what about billionaires? According to Forbes.com, "There are now more billionaires than ever: 2,781 in all, 141 more than last year and 26 more than the record set in 2021." They added, "They're richer than ever, worth $14.2 trillion in aggregate, up by $2 trillion from 2023 and $1.1 trillion above the previous record, also set in 2021." The No. 1 richest person in the world surprised me, and it may surprise you, too. According to Forbes, it's Bernard Arnault & family, with a net worth of $233 Billion. They're in France, and their industry is fashion and retail. "Bernard Arnault oversees the LVMH empire of 75 fashion and cosmetics brands, including Louis Vuitton and Sephora." I had no idea that when I shopped at Sephora, I was helping out the richest man in the world. Coming in at No. 2 is Elon Musk, who's worth around $195 billion. He lives in the United States. "Elon Musk cofounded six companies, including electric car maker Tesla, rocket producer SpaceX and tunneling startup Boring Company," Forbes states. Finally, No. 3 on the tally is Jeff Bezos, who's net worth is $194 billion. He founded e-commerce website Amazon in 1994. Now, let's get into some simple habits of millionaires that you can do now, according to financial experts interviewed by CNBC.com, Finance.yahoo.com and more.

Cars lose their value quickly. That's why buying a used car is usually much less expensive than a new car. The second that car is off the lot, it's considered used and drops in value thousands, even with just another mile on the car. That said, according to CNBC.com, wealthy people buy, don't lease, their cars and keep them long-term. That way, they can save money between car purchases.

According to RamseySolutions.com, "Millionaires spend most of their lives sacrificing temporary pleasures for long-term success. They have no problem buying an older used car, living in a modest neighborhood, and wearing inexpensive clothes. They don’t care about keeping up with the Joneses." So, instead of picking up all the hot, expensive new stuff, wait it out.

If you're a newbie to financial planning, listen to some podcasts on the subject or find a helpful book. Finance.yahoo.com says, "knowing how to become a millionaire isn't innate, even for most wealthy people." Research from certified financial planner and CPA Tom Corley shows that "63 percent of wealthy people listen to audio books during their commute to work versus 5 percent of poor people," says Finance.yahoo.com.

In the same Finance.yahoo.com story, Corley says that networking is huge when it comes to becoming a millionaire. "On his Rich Habits blog, Corley revealed 79 percent of wealthy individuals network at least five hours per month, compared with only 16 percent of poor people," they explain. So, get out there, and meet new people who could make up your network.

Millionaires are frugal. They don't splurge like you might expect. According to RamseySolutions.com's The National Study of Millionaires, nearly half of millionaires in their poll said they save at least 16% of their monthly income. They often use it for an emergency fund or liquid cash.

CNBC.com's Select asked Faron Daugs, certified financial planner, founder and CEO at Harrison Wallace Financial Group, "about the financial habits his wealthiest clients all share that could apply to the average person." One big thing he mentioned was building up emergency funds and then investing. "Daugs says his clients have organized investment plans, whether its in stocks, bonds or exchange-traded funds (ETFs)," CNBC explains. He also recommends having a "monthly or bi-monthly automatic transfer of cash from your checking account into an investment account."

According to Fool.com, the wealthy "invest in stocks, real estate, and their own businesses." They add that, "Millionaires put their money into appreciating assets (assets that can grow in value)." Also, "people with net worths of $1 million or higher tend to have more of their money" in stocks and mutual funds; real estate; and business interests.

Whatever your financial situation, look at the bright side. Look for opportunities for working with what you have and growing your nest egg. Reach out to experts in the financial field if you're really stumped and see how they can make your financial dreams come true.

Wherever you are on your financial journey, don't give up. It can be temping to just throw everything to the wind, but if you take a more level-headed approach, you'll have a better chance of coming out successful. Good luck on your financial journey.