TransUnion said 15 million consumers moved into super prime between late 2019 and late 2025, while near-prime and subprime borrowers saw sharper debt-to-income increases.
Non-mortgage DTI rose 176 basis points for near-prime borrowers and 143 for subprime, versus 29 for super prime, as rising expenses and debt payments squeezed household finances.
Lenders are still extending credit, with subprime bankcard originations up and overall card, personal loan and mortgage originations rising, though delinquencies increased in several categories and auto lending remained weaker.
Lenders are issuing record credit to risky borrowers. Is this a lifeline or the seed for the next financial crisis?
As student loan protections vanish, are millions of Americans marching toward a debt cliff?