If You’re Struggling to Pay Day-to-Day Bills, There’s Help

More people are seeking help managing their debt — not from extravagant purchases but rather the higher costs of needs like car repairs or medical bills — nonprofit financial counselors report.

Money Management International, a nonprofit credit counseling firm based in Texas, said it counseled nearly 41,000 clients in the first half of the year, an increase of about 10 percent over the same period in 2025. Enrollment in its debt management plans, which help borrowers repay their debt — mostly credit card balances — at lower interest rates, rose to the highest level in nearly a decade.

Consumers are being squeezed by rising costs for basics like groceries, said Ted Rossman, principal consumer finance analyst at Money Management International. “It tends to be practical stuff — day-to-day things outpacing your budget.”

The largest share of people seeking help are in their 30s to mid-40s, with average unsecured debt of about $41,000, Mr. Rossman said. Unsecured debts are loans that lack collateral, like a home or car, that can be claimed if the borrower can’t repay the money.

Article source: https://www.nytimes.com/2026/08/07/your-money/debt-bills.html