Gold News

US Household Debt Jumps

Credit card balances surging even as APR rates do...
 
The ECONOMY may be on shaky ground, but you wouldn't know it by looking at US consumer spending habits alone, says Frank Holmes at US Global Investors.
 
Retail sales rose a healthy 1.3% in October from September, according to Census Bureau data. Some economists put the increase into context by pointing out that Amazon held a Prime Early Access sales event in October, while California distributed over $5 billion in inflation relief checks.
 
Higher prices for everything, including new vehicles and fuel, also contributed to the jump in retail sales by value.
 
From here, and despite stubbornly high inflation and recessionary fears, spending by consumers may not slow down as we approach the busy holiday shopping season.
 
In its annual forecast of holiday spending, the National Retail Federation (NRF) says it believes sales will increase between 6% and 8% from last year, potentially making this season the third best year in the past 20 years following 2020 and 2021, when American consumers were stuck at home and flush with pandemic stimulus money. Holiday sales could top $960.4 billion as "consumers remain resilient and continue to engage in commerce," NRF President and CEO Matthew Shay says.
 
The big exception appears to be Target. The Minneapolis-based retailer warned shareholders of lackluster spending this holiday season due to higher prices. Although sales were slightly higher in the third quarter compared to the same quarter last year, due mostly to higher consumer prices, operating income decreased nearly 50% on a rise in expenses.
 
Target aside, I believe the holiday forecast is incredibly constructive for retailers. That includes luxury retailers, many of which reported strong results for the third quarter. Industry leader LVMH reported a 19% jump in sales from the same quarter last year, while Kering (parent company of Gucci) and Hermes reported increases of 14% and 24%, respectively.
 
Bain & Company announced that the global luxury market is on track to grow 21% this year, reaching $1.4 trillion. The firm projects that personal luxury sales will increase a further 3% to 8% next year, even as the global economy is expected to contract.
 
Unlike what happened during the 2008-2009 financial crisis, when consumers cut back on luxury items, today's luxury market appears poised to expand with a larger global consumer base and greater concentration among high-earning buyers, Bain says. 
 
There could be two things in particular supporting strong retail sales: excess savings and a reliance on credit cards.
 
In a report issued last month, the Federal Reserve stated that US households are still holding onto a sizeable chunk of their pandemic savings. At the peak, Americans were saving as much as 33% of their disposable income.
 
The rate has since fallen to just over 3%, but Americans still have access to a massive $1.7 trillion. That represents about 75% of the total cash that households collected and saved during the pandemic. Reserves are steadily being depleted, but there's still plenty left in the tank to support consumption in the near- to medium-term.
 
 
And how are Americans choosing to make transactions? Credit cards, apparently.
 
In the third quarter, credit card balances surged 15% year-over-year, the largest annual jump since the New York Fed began keeping track of this data. More than 190 million Americans have at least one credit card, while half of all American adults have at least two. Some 13% have five or more, the New York Fed says.
 
 
With interest rates on the rise, this could be a problem to keep an eye on.
 
The average annual percentage rate (APR) for retail cards just hit a fresh new high of 26.72%, with some exceeding an unbelievable 30%, according to CreditCards.com. Retail credit cards differ from general purpose cards in that they're issued by or on behalf of a store. Among the highest APRs belonged to cards issued by Kroger, Macy's, Exxon Mobil, Speedway and Wayfair.
 
While I'm on this topic, total US household debt grew to a new record high of $16.51 trillion in the third quarter, according to a separate report by the New York Fed. This amounts to an increase of $351 billion from the previous quarter, a sign of strong consumer demand and rising prices.
 
 
Mortgages remained the number one category, representing close to three quarters of total debt. However, the bank points out that the number of new home mortgages slowed to a pre-pandemic low during the quarter as 30-year mortgage rates have climbed above 6%, the highest since 2002. 

Frank Holmes is chief executive officer and chief investment officer of US Global Investors Inc., a registered investment adviser managing approximately $4.8 billion in 13 no-load mutual funds and for other advisory clients. A Toronto native, he bought a controlling interest in US Global Investors in 1989, after an accomplished career in Canada's capital markets. His specialized knowledge gives him expertise in resource-based industries and money management.

See the full archive of Frank Holmes.

Please Note: All articles published here are to inform your thinking, not lead it. Only you can decide the best place for your money, and any decision you make will put your money at risk. Information or data included here may have already been overtaken by events – and must be verified elsewhere – should you choose to act on it. Please review our Terms & Conditions for accessing Gold News.

Follow Us

Facebook Youtube Twitter LinkedIn

 

 

Market Fundamentals