Achieve

How much money do you think you'd need saved to withstand a job loss?

A recent piece by Priya Shah for looked at what households actually need, and Austin Kilgore of the Achieve Center for Consumer Insights shared where to start.

"The point of departure for the majority should be at least three months of essential expenses," Kilgore said.

As a trusted leader in debt, Achieve brings direct insight into how households are managing, and in many cases, struggling, in today's environment.

We believe everyday people deserve to move forward faster than minimum payments allow, and we're committed to helping reduce stress, improve cash flow and build long-term financial stability.

Choosing your personal loan term is a quiet decision that shows up in every payment after it.

Here's the tradeoff, side by side. With Achieve Personal Loans, you choose the pace, so either way it's a plan with an end date.

Finish line or breathing room, which one wins for you? 🤔

Your credit card rate can go up even when nothing about your card changes. With a debt consolidation loan at a fixed rate, your payment doesn't.

That's because most cards carry a variable APR that tends to follow the Fed, which raised rates on September 16.

An Achieve personal loan has a fixed rate, so the payment you start with is the payment you keep.

What's one thing a payment that stays put would make easier?

Personal loans are available through our affiliate Achieve Personal Loans (NMLS ID #227977), originated by Cross River Bank, Equal Housing Lender. Loan applications are subject to credit review, underwriting criteria, and approval. Terms and conditions apply.

A debt consolidation loan can't raise your income, but it can get more of each payment to the principal. And that's the whole problem with short-term debt.

More than half of people carrying credit cards, personal loans, or buy now pay later say it would take over six months to clear it. These were supposed to be temporary.

What turns a stop-gap into a years-long weight is usually the same thing: essentials keep climbing and interest compounds faster than the payments land.

When you're ready, we're here.

Is "just pay it down faster" realistic advice when most of a payment is going to interest?

Buying groceries on credit isn't just a convenience for some families, it's becoming a warning sign.

New data from the Achieve Center for Consumer Insights, shared with Newsbreak found that 53% of consumers are carrying credit card balances just to cover rising essential costs like groceries.

"Moreover, 57% of consumers estimate it would take six months or longer to pay off all their short-term, unsecured debt like credit cards, Buy Now Pay Later loans, personal loans, and medical debt," said Austin Kilgore, analyst with the Achieve Center for Consumer Insights.

As a trusted leader in debt, Achieve brings direct insight into how households are managing, and in many cases, struggling, in today's environment. We believe everyday people deserve to move forward faster than minimum payments allow, and we're committed to helping reduce stress, improve cash flow and build long-term financial stability.

Has grocery spending ever ended up on a credit card when it wasn't part of the plan?

Having insurance and still not being able to afford to use it is a specific kind of stuck. 🩺

What do people actually do when the deductible is more than the visit is worth?

The bill gets paid with a card, because that is the option in the room. Then the card balance is the problem, and that is a different problem.

A debt consolidation loan through Achieve Personal Loans puts those balances into one fixed payment with a date it ends. A Loan Consultant looks at the whole picture and says if it is not the right fit.

Personal loans are available through our affiliate Achieve Personal Loans (NMLS ID #227977), originated by Cross River Bank, Delaware Branch, Equal Housing Lender. Terms and conditions apply.

A debt consolidation loan can't raise your income, but it can get more of each payment to the principal. And that's the whole problem with short-term debt.

More than half of people carrying credit cards, personal loans, or buy now pay later say it would take over six months to clear it. These were supposed to be temporary.

What turns a stop-gap into a years-long weight is usually the same thing: essentials keep climbing and interest compounds faster than the payments land.

When you're ready, we're here.
Is "just pay it down faster" realistic advice when most of a payment is going to interest?

Just because a bill is paid on time doesn’t mean the budget is actually okay. 💸🛑

A new study by the Achieve Center for Consumer Insights (featured in The Credit Union Daily) reveals a quiet crisis: while a massive 88% of consumers are managed to pay all or nearly all of their bills on time, the pressure behind those payments is reaching a boiling point.

More than a third of people say keeping up with debt has been incredibly difficult lately. To keep those accounts current, families are being forced to make heartbreaking tradeoffs:

👉 Cutting Basics: Half of those who fell behind had to cut spending on basic household needs.
👉 Skipping Healthcare: Nearly 1 in 5 (20%) delayed or skipped essential medical treatment just to stay current on their bills.

As our Co-Founder and Co-CEO Brad Stroh puts it: “Many consumers are keeping up with bills, but that does not mean the debt is becoming easier to manage. That payment pressure quickly reaches core household needs and can even impact healthcare choices.”

Carrying debt isn't just about interest rates—it's about the very real emotional weight of what you have to sacrifice to keep up.

💬 If you've had to make tough budget tradeoffs recently, you are far from alone. Has keeping up with bills ever forced you to cut back on something you didn't expect to? Let's chat in the comments. 👇