Credit Card Industry Greatly Impacted by COVID, but the Worst Seems to Have Been Avoided

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Mercator Advisory Group updates annual Credit Card Data Book with projections through 2023 in part one of two.

One of the 16 exhibits included in this document.

Unlike 2019, which was a banner year for many credit card issuers, 2020 proved to be far more tumultuous. COVID-19 caused widespread disruptions, economic uncertainty, and a steep rise in unemployment. Facing economic uncertainty, consumers largely reigned in their credit usage, causing revolving debt volumes to drop. Despite the potential for an economic disaster, however, the credit card industry remains largely stable, with delinquencies down across all loan types. According to Mercator Advisory Group’s new report, The 2021 Credit Card Data Book Part One: Internal Dynamics, 2021 will likely end with a manageable rise in charge-offs.

“Though the credit cycle risk indicators are artificially low and credit use has dropped considerably, current trends make it unlikely that a tsunami of delinquencies and charge-offs will crash over the credit industry in 2021,” comments Brian Riley, Director, Credit Advisory Service, at Mercator Advisory Group, and co-author of this research report. “We will examine what these trends are in the second part of this report and analyze what they mean for credit card profitability, consumer interest in opening new credit cards, and lender attitudes on credit policy standards.”

Highlights of the research report include:

  • Key industry metrics to watch in 2021
  • Decline in revolving debt
  • Drop in average credit card debt
  • Disruptions to the normal aging process
  • Trillions of dollars in contingent credit card liability

This document contains 26 pages and 16 exhibits.

Companies and other organizations mentioned in this research report include: ACI Worldwide, Bank of America, Chase, Citi, Federal Reserve System, and FICO.

Members of Mercator Advisory Group’s Credit Advisory Service have access to this report as well as the upcoming research for the year ahead, presentations, analyst access, and other membership benefits.

For more information and media inquiries, please call Mercator Advisory Group's main line: (781) 419-1700, or send email to media@mercatoradvisorygroup.com.

For free industry news, opinions, research, company information and more, visit us at http://www.PaymentsJournal.com.

Follow us on Twitter @ http://twitter.com/MercatorAdvisor.

About Mercator Advisory Group
Mercator Advisory Group is the leading independent research, and advisory services firm exclusively focused on the payments and banking industries. We deliver pragmatic and timely research and advice designed to help our clients uncover the most lucrative opportunities to maximize revenue growth and contain costs. Our clients range from the world's largest payment issuers, acquirers, processors, merchants and associations to leading technology providers and investors. Mercator Advisory Group is also the publisher of the online payments and banking news and information portal PaymentsJournal.com.

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Karen Yetter
@MercatorAdvisor
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