Debt Stress

Charge-Off Rate on Credit Card Loans

Credit card debt written off as uncollectable

What is the current Charge-Off Rate on Credit Card Loans?

CREDIT CARD CHARGE-OFF RATE
4.11% ↓ Improving
of credit card balances charged off as losses

The credit card charge-off rate — the share of credit card balances that banks have written off as uncollectable — measures the terminal stage of credit card distress. When banks charge off a balance, they have concluded that the borrower will not repay and have absorbed the loss. Source: Federal Reserve Call Reports.

Charge-Off Rate on Credit Card Loans at 4.2%

Tracking improving relative to recent baseline.

Explore Further

How has Charge-Off Rate on Credit Card Loans changed over time?

CSV Chart Card
Charge-Off Rate on Credit Card Loans over time
Charge-off rate on credit card loans, percentage
Charge-Off Rate on Credit Card Loans
Historical data
Quarterly · Board of Governors via FRED
Period Value YoY Change
Q4 2025 4.11% −0.5 pts
Q3 2025 4.18% −0.5 pts
Q2 2025 4.18% −0.4 pts
Q1 2025 4.43% +0.0 pts
Q4 2024 4.58% +0.4 pts
Q3 2024 4.69% +0.9 pts
Q2 2024 4.56% +1.3 pts
Q1 2024 4.4% +1.5 pts
Q4 2023 4.19% +1.7 pts
Q3 2023 3.76% +1.7 pts
Q2 2023 3.23% +1.4 pts
Q1 2023 2.86% +1.1 pts

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a credit card charge-off?

A charge-off occurs when a bank determines that a credit card balance is uncollectable — typically after 180 days of non-payment — and writes off the debt as a loss. The debt may still be sold to collection agencies, but the originating bank records it as a loss.

How does the charge-off rate relate to delinquency?

Charge-offs are a lagging indicator that follows delinquency. A borrower typically goes 30, 60, 90, 120, 150, then 180 days past due before the balance is charged off. Rising charge-offs confirm that earlier delinquency increases are converting into actual bank losses.

Where does charge-off data come from?

The Federal Reserve publishes charge-off rates quarterly from bank Call Report filings. Data is available separately for the 100 largest banks and all other banks, allowing comparison across the banking system.

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Why does Charge-Off Rate on Credit Card Loans matter?

Charge-Off Rate on Credit Card Loans is one of 91 indicators in the American Distress Index's debt stress layer — the signal that predicted the 2008 crisis two years before delinquency data confirmed it.
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