Bobbi Rebell, CFP\u00ae, CFT\u2122, Chief Financial Education Advisor at Accredited Debt Relief, appeared on Fox 5 New York to discuss why so many families are heading into the back-to-school season already carrying a balance from last year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The segment opened with National Retail Federation 2026 Back-to-School Survey<\/a> data showing back-to-school shoppers expect to spend an average of $864 this year, a slight increase over last year. Rebell pointed to Accredited Debt Relief survey findings<\/a> that help explain how families are covering that cost.<\/p>\n\n\n\n “They are not affording it. They are financing it,” Rebell said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Asked what it signals when families put recurring annual expenses on credit, Rebell said the pattern rarely stops at the school year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n “It is incredibly worrisome because a lot of them then carry that debt into the holiday season. It also means that sometimes parents are forced to cut back on other things that are really important, like cutting back on school activities that mean a lot to their children, or being a little bit tighter with the grocery bills, and unfortunately sometimes even paying bills late,” she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n