Synchrony Financial reported third-quarter credit card purchase volume up 8% to $49.7 billion, with Gen Z and millennial customers showing the fastest growth as living costs and elevated borrowing costs strained budgets. Part of the increase reflected higher prices, including gasoline, as consumers spent more without necessarily buying more goods. A Federal Reserve survey found 47% of adults aged 18 to 29 received help from outside their household with expenses in 2025, and average credit card balances among those struggling to get by rose 37%, or $2,530, between 2023 and 2025. The average interest rate on accounts assessed interest reached 22.36% in August. Still, Synchrony's 30-day delinquency rate eased to 4.34% from 4.39% a year earlier.
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| Market | US stocks |
|---|---|
| Sector | ETF |
| Close on 10/19/2026 | 766.48 |
| Change that session | +0.42% |
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Synchrony Financial reported that third-quarter credit card purchase volume rose 8% to $49.7 billion, with Gen Z and millennial customers posting the fastest growth, partly due to higher prices such as gasoline. A Federal Reserve survey found 47% of adults aged 18 to 29 received help from outside their household with expenses in 2025, and 49% of those under 30 lived with a parent, up 12 percentage points from 2019. Pressure intensified as consumer prices rose 3.7% year over year in September while inflation-adjusted average hourly earnings fell 0.7%. Credit card balances among respondents struggling to get by rose 37%, or $2,530, between 2023 and 2025, versus a 1% ($59) increase among those living comfortably, and the average interest rate on accounts assessed interest reached 22.36% in August. Synchrony's loans at least 30 days past due fell to 4.34% from 4.39% a year earlier, while outstanding loans rose 3% to $103.3 billion.
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