America's consumer-debt stress is mounting - mortgage rates top 7%, credit-card liabilities hit $1 trillion, and now auto-loan defaults are on the rise

• Delinquencies on auto loans are rising again – and this could spell trouble for American consumers. 
• Defaults on car loans have risen above pre-pandemic levels to over 2%, per the FDIC.
• Steep interest-rate increases since early 2022 by the Federal Reserve continue to pinch Americans' wallets. 

It's getting harder and harder for Americans to repay their automobile loans, as the Federal Reserve's aggressive interest-rate increases continue to squeeze consumers' wallets. 

With the Fed raising rates to a 22-year high, borrowing costs for consumers and companies have climbed – making payments on mortgages, credit cards, and now, cars, more expensive.