No. 16-6 The Credit Card Debt Puzzle: The Role of Preferences, Credit Risk, and Financial Literacy Olga Gorbachev and Maria José Luengo-Prado Abstract We use the 1979 National Longitudinal Survey of Youth to revisit what is termed the credit card debt puzzle: why consumers simultaneously co-hold high-interest credit card debt and low- interest assets that could be used to pay down this debt. This dataset contains unique information on intelligence, financial literacy, and preferences, while also providing a complete picture of households’ balance sheets. Relative to individuals with no credit card debt but positive liquid assets, individuals in the puzzle group have higher discount rates, slightly lower financial literacy scores, and very different perceptions on future credit risk: many individuals are using credit cards for precautionary motives. Keywords: household finance, risk aversion, time preferences, precautionary motives, bankruptcy, foreclosure JEL Classifications: D14, D91, E21, G02 Olga Gorbachev is an assistant professor of economics at the University of Delaware’s Alfred Lerner College of Business and Economics. Her e-mail address is
[email protected]. Maria José Luengo-Prado is a senior economist and policy advisor in the research department at the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston. Her e-mail address is
[email protected]. The authors thank Rob Dent for excellent research assistance. This paper presents preliminary analysis and results intended to stimulate discussion and critical comment. The views expressed herein are those of the authors and do not indicate concurrence by the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston, or by the principals of the Board of Governors, or the Federal Reserve System.