NFCC Reveals Financial Strain is the New Normal for American Households
Lingering at a record-high level, the NFCC Financial Stress Forecast (FSF) indicates a Q3 spike in credit card delinquency.
(WASHINGTON, D.C.) – November 17, 2025 – The National Foundation for Credit Counseling (NFCC) today released its 2025 Q3 Financial Stress Forecast (FSF), which reveals that consumer financial distress has stabilized at a record-high level, pointing to significant and sustained pressure on American households and a projected surge in unsecured debt defaults. The FSF, a proprietary, forward-looking economic indicator that provides real-time insights into consumers’ capacity to repay debt, remained steady at 6.6 in both 2025 Q2 and 2025 Q3, marking the highest stress level observed since the data history began in 2018 Q1. This plateau confirms that financial strain is now entrenched, with consumers struggling under sustained debt burdens rather than recovering.
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Bruce McClary
Senior Vice President, Membership & Communications
As the lead spokesperson, Bruce provides communications support for the nation’s largest and longest-serving network of nonprofit credit counseling organizations. He also manages activities focused on industry collaboration and membership…
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