This podcast episode explores the signs of financial distress among consumers, with a focus on rising credit card delinquency rates, falling sales at Family Dollar, and increasing hardship withdrawals from retirement accounts. The increase in credit card delinquency rates is attributed to factors such as inflation, slow income growth, and rising interest rates. The data suggests increased financial distress, particularly for younger and lower-income households. Falling sales at Family Dollar indicate a reduction in SNAP benefits, while an increase in hardship withdrawals could indicate financial stress. However, it's important to consider other factors such as automatic enrollment in retirement plans and easier access to hardship withdrawals.
