Data and Research

Every school year starts with a supply list, but new sneakers usually aren’t listed among the pens and paper. So why are clothing and shoes what parents say they struggle most to cover? Thirty-seven percent of parents named clothing and shoes as one of their two most burdensome school costs, more than any other category, […]

They have the same amount of debt. But why do they feel so differently about it? Accredited Debt Relief’s 2026 Everyday Debt Survey found that 53% of men say their financial situation is sustainable long term, compared with 39% of women. The 14-point spread is one of the widest demographic splits in the survey, which […]

Americans who live with debt rarely think of it as permanent. But ask them how long until they’re debt-free, and their situation may prove to be more enduring than they’d anticipated. In Accredited Debt Relief’s 2026 Everyday Debt Survey a poll of 2,000 U.S. adults carrying at least $10,000 in unsecured debt, 41% described their […]

People buried in credit card debt tend to reach for credit to get out. Accredited Debt Relief 2026 Everyday Debt Survey found that among those who sought help, 38% began with a balance transfer card, 37% turned to a debt relief program and 29% took out a debt consolidation loan. A balance transfer lowers the […]

With prices on the rise, Americans in debt are leaning on credit cards to get by — and even to cover the cost of basics, like groceries. Accredited Debt Relief 2026 Everyday Debt Survey found that 66% of indebted Americans have charged a grocery run to their credit card in the past year. This finding, […]

Americans who take action on their debt tend to follow a pattern: They research their options, cut back on spending, work extra hours and pay what they can. Yet there’s one step most of them never take, and it’s one that could make a major impact on how and if they achieve their goal: a […]

Healthcare keeps getting more expensive. And for many Americans choosing between covering their bills or getting care, the choice is clear: Skip the doctor to pay the debt. Some 26% of adults with debt have skipped or delayed care to make a debt payment, according to Accredited Debt Relief’s 2026 Debt Impact Survey of 2,000 […]

Most people would go into debt for an emergency. But what about for a party? Accredited Debt Relief’s new survey shows that many people are willing to go into debt simply to be present for an event. Thirty-three percent of respondents would go further into debt, usually on a credit card, rather than miss an […]

For most families, back-to-school shopping isn’t a short-term, seasonal expense that ends when the school year begins. New data shows most parents are borrowing money to cover school costs year-round, and few are paying it off before taking on new school-related debt. In a survey of over 1,000 parents of K-12 students, 89% said they […]

Ask most people how they ended up with a credit card balance and you’ll hear a familiar story. It’s about willpower, discipline and choices they wish they’d made differently. It’s a story about character. But the data tells a very different tale. Key Takeaways 70% of people with credit card debt say most of their […]