25 Top Debt Infographics

Debt has become a pervasive, powerful part of the American way of life. It has rippling negative effects in crucial financial decisions, from homebuying to retirement. That’s why many are already taking steps toward becoming debt-free.

The first step to getting out of debt to have a clear picture of the issue and, most importantly, your current financial situation

Here are some of the must-see debt-related infographics to help you get informed and be inspired to live debt-free:

1. Student Debt in America

Nearly 70 percent or two-thirds of American students graduating from four-year colleges and universities have student loan debt. Whether you’re a prospective student contemplating financial aid or a graduate  with large amounts of debt, this infographic from Online Schools offers a bird’s-eye view of the issue.

2. Good Debts, Bad Debts and Your Credit

Not all debt is bad. There are instances when taking on a debt is considered a smart financial move. Once such instance is when you’re trying to get or maintaining a good credit profile. This infographic from FreeCreditScore.com offers a quick overview of good and bad debts. It also includes sections on managing debts and loan key terms you need to understand.

3. The High Cost of Credit Card Debt

ReadyForZero’s interactive infographic calculates how much your credit card debt is costing you.  This smart online tool visually tells you how many cappuccinos you could buy, tanks you could fill up, and iPhones you could buy with the interest you’re paying.

This seems like a very effective tool that discourages you from racking up debt again.

4. Generational Inequality

Just how different are millennials from previous generations? This infographic serves as a good introduction to the subject of generational inequality. It paints a rather bleak, though reversible, future of higher debt and less wealth for millennials.

The infographic is part of The Can Kicks Back’s Swindled Report, which sheds light on the consequences of America’s fiscal challenges especially our growing national debt.

5. Your Doctor is Drowning in Debt 

The sad fact is, 80 percent of doctors and medical students are in debt. This infographic from the Student Doctor Network, a non-profit educational organization, examines the reality of medical school debt.

A telling portion of the infographic revealed that 3 percent of health professionals think the value for money they get in higher education was average or below.

6. Demystifying Credit Cards and Consumer Debt

This great visual content from BillShrink debunks common myths regarding the CARD Act, the credit industry, and credit cardholders. The bottom part takes a closer look at two half-truths about credit cards.

It’s a brief yet substantial read for consumers struggling with credit card debt.

7. Dig Yourself Out of Debt 

In less than half an hour, this comprehensive infographic from Credit Donkey will show you how to rid of your debt for good. It’s specifically tackles bite-sized sections on

• building a better budget (the foundation of a debt-free life)
• things to do when you can’t pay your bills
• working with your creditors
• things to do when you can’t just do it yourself

8. US Debt Visualized

How much money does the United States owe? A lot of money. This financial infographic visualizes U.S. debt in 100 dollar bills.

You might be wondering how the growing national debt affects us all. The infographic offers a rather general answer: as an American, “this is also your personal credit card bill; you are responsible along with  everyone else to pay this back.”

9. Attack of Debt Monkey

This perfectly complements the previous infographic. It expands on the issue of how the U.S. government debt affects Americans. Here is the analogy: personal debt is “the monkey on our backs,” government debt is “the gorilla.”

The main takeaway is quite insightful: while it’s unclear what the government does to tame this debt gorilla, we can definitely stop feeding the debt monkey.

10. Imagine: An Entire Year Without a Mortgage Payment

Set aside your financial worries for a while. Start envisioning a debt-free future where there are no credit card bills, mortgage and auto loans to pay.

While this infographic is originally part of Quicken Loans Skip-A-Year mortgage sweepstakes, it gives you a clear picture of how many minutes at work you need to pay off debt.

11. Americans in Deep

How deeply in debt are American families? This informative graphic gives you a quick look at the typical American family debt picture.

Credit cards, education-related expenses, mortgage and medical costs are four big items that break the budget and lead to debt.

12. Celebrities with Massive Debt Problems

Celebrities are no better than average consumers when it comes to their finances. Even some of your favorite stars struggle with debt too.

This infographic is a short inventory of famous people who had hundreds of thousands to millions of dollars in debt. It includes, among others, Martha Stewart and Donald Trump.

13. Education – Student Debt

Penn Foster wants to make sure students graduate career-ready and debt-free. This infographic shows how the educational institution endeavors to help students get affordable degrees and complete debt-free.

It’s a welcome relief to the rising cost of tuition and other student fees. Whether or not you’re looking to enrol in Penn Foster, consider this useful visual map as an inspiration when planning for college.

14. Playing the Financial Aid Game

This is a must-see infographic for every college student, prospective or current. It’s a step-by-step guide to surviving college financially, from searching scholarships to repaying what you owe months after you graduate.

It effectively charts the financial aid process, and thus empowers students to make a well-informed decision before taking out loans.

15. Who Created this Debt Nightmare?

This chart digs deeper into the growing national debt, especially the government’s “lack of seriousness” in addressing the issue.

You could see the silver lining here, with debt growth actually slowing in recent years. But there is, obviously, more to be done. These visual illustrations on national debt, along with previous resources, will help you gain a better understanding of the economy and your personal debt.

No matter which side of the argument you sit on, or whether you think the information is completely accurate or not, this is a must see, simply for the purpose of getting people thinking about it.

16. A Look At The Debtors Vs. Debt Collector Rivalry

Debtors often speak ill of debt collectors. But we know very little of collection agencies and those collectors who use various tactics to make consumers pay off their debt.

This infographic looks at the other side of the issue, debt collection. It visually represented top debt collection states, percentage of debt collected by type, and even donations to charitable foundations made by third-party debt collectors.

17. The Debt-Free Community

The debt-free movement is getting traction. Using this infographic, you’ll learn how consumers are starting to take control of their finances to achieve financial independence.

What’s unique about the step-by-step approach depicted in this infographic is its focus on personal mindset and getting help from the community.

18. Save Now or Start Paying Credit Cards?

Should you pay off debt now or put money into your savings account first? This is another infographic from CreditDonkey. In a carefully crafted illustration, it offers several options that practically combine saving and debt payment. You can, for instance, save a $100 and pay $140 for your credit card balance each month.

19. Buying Stuff on Credit is Expensive

How costly is it to spend on credit? This infographic will show you how, specifically if you’re only paying $24 per month at 14% interest. Given these figures, you’ll never be able to pay a diamond ring that costs $3,500–not even its interest.

20. Debt Clouds Retirement Optimism

The amount of debt you owe impacts your retirement plans. Lack of it enables you to feel confident in retiring comfortably. More debt means delaying your dream to retire anytime soon.

This simple chart shows how workers with differing amount of debt feels about their retirement.

21. Breaking Up With Debt

Where would you be in three or five years if you choose to pay your debt?

While this infographic lean towards the use of a debt management plan, it has good reasons for doing so. No matter how responsible you are in handling your finances, you still credit counselors to help you negotiate with creditors on your behalf.

22. How to Ditch Your Debt

What’s a good method for paying off debt? The answer is, it depends on your financial situation. This article summarizes two popular methods: Dave Ramsey’s Snowball Method and Suze Orman’s High-interest Method.

23. Just Think About Paying Off Your Debt

This is simple infographic from VisualizingEconomics.com. It clearly shows you how much money you’ll save if you pay more than just the minimum monthly payment.

24. The True Costs of Credit Card Minimum Payments

It’s a perfect complement to the previous infographic. What makes it more compelling is that it uses electronic gadgets as examples. Many consumers, after all, rack up debt by spending too much on the latest gadget.

25. The Millenial’s Ultimate Guide to Managing Money

This infographic includes a section on Good Debt vs Bad Debt, with additional information on how to deal with debt. But it offers millenials a fuller perspective when it comes to handling money, from making and sticking to a budget to planning for the long run.

Bonus – 50 States of Debt

Of course we’ve got to include our own masterpiece! This piece visually shows the average amount of consumer credit card debt per household in the United States.

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