Debt Stress

The 60-Day Line

Up from 2.91% last quarter; bankcard 60+ day delinquency still climbing

What is the current The 60-Day Line?

ACCOUNTS 60+ DAYS PAST DUE
3.03% ↓ Improving
of credit card balances 60+ days late — near the top of the recorded range
One year ago
3.16% ↓ Improving
down 0.1 points since Q4 2024

Equifax Monthly Credit Trends tracks early-stage delinquency transitions across consumer credit portfolios, providing a near-real-time view of payment deterioration. The 60-day delinquency marker is a critical threshold — accounts that reach 60 days past due have a substantially higher probability of progressing to charge-off than those at 30 days. Source: Equifax credit data.

The share of credit card balances 60 days past due has settled near the top of its recorded range and refuses to retreat.

Thirty days late is a mistake. Sixty days late is a pattern.

That is the line Equifax tracks each month — the share of bank card balances where a single missed payment has become two, where the servicer's autodialer starts and the late fees compound on the late fees. Equifax's monthly 60+ day series began in September 2024, so long historical comparisons have to come from the broader Federal Reserve credit card series. As of Q4 2025, the Equifax rate sat at 3%, well above the 1.53% stimulus-era low on the comparable Federal Reserve series.

The stall matters. Credit Card Delinquency on bank-reported accounts has eased since 2024. The 60-day share has not eased in parallel. That gap means the accounts that do go late are staying late longer — short cures are giving way to long slides.

The next station down the pipeline is Credit Card Charge-Offs, where the bank declares the balance uncollectable and writes it off as a loss. Credit card charge-offs are running at multi-year highs, with the longest stretch of elevated write-offs since the post-GFC period of 2011–2012. Sixty days is the bridge between the two. It's not a comfortable place to sit.

Source: Equifax Monthly Press Release · Latest: 2025-Q4

Explore Further

Is this happening to you?

Have any of your accounts gone 60 or more days past due?

How has The 60-Day Line changed over time?

CSV Chart Card
The 60-day line is not coming back down
Share of credit card balances 60+ days past due, Equifax monthly
The 60-Day Line
Historical data
Quarterly · Equifax Monthly Press Release
Period Value YoY Change
Q4 2025 3.03% −0.1 pts
Q4 2025 2.91% −0.2 pts
Q4 2024 3.16%
Q4 2024 3.09%
Q3 2024 3.01%

Frequently Asked Questions

What does the 60-day delinquency line measure?

It tracks the share of consumer credit accounts that have transitioned to 60+ days past due. The 60-day mark is significant because accounts reaching this stage have a substantially higher probability of progressing to charge-off (total loss) than those at only 30 days past due.

Why is 60 days a critical threshold?

At 30 days past due, many borrowers recover. At 60 days, the probability of recovery drops sharply and the likelihood of eventual charge-off or collections increases significantly. The 60-day line is where temporary cash-flow problems become entrenched delinquency.

Where does this data come from?

Equifax publishes monthly credit trend data from its consumer credit database. As one of the three major credit bureaus, Equifax covers hundreds of millions of consumer credit accounts.

Ross Kilburn
Written by

Ross Kilburn, Founder

American Default Research · Seattle, Washington

Two decades working directly with financially distressed American households — from property preservation in 2003, to negotiating over 1,000 short sales during the Great Recession, to foreclosure defense marketing today. Author, The Ark Law Group Complete Guide to Short Sales (Auroch Press, 2013). Twice named to Puget Sound Business Journal Fast 50 for Ark Law Group. B.A., University of California, Berkeley, 1992. Founded American Default Research in 2026 to fill a gap in public data that had been empty since 2013.

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Why does The 60-Day Line matter?

The 60-Day Line is one of 88 live indicators tracked by American Default Research. The methodology page explains sources, update cadence, and how the index uses its published inputs.
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