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We are borrowing more and more these days.

From Marketplace, I'm Sabrina Banishore in New York.

Household debt ticked up slightly in the first three months of this year, increasing by $18 billion.

This is according to a new report from the Federal Reserve Bank of New York.

Marketplaces, Nancy Marshall-Genzor, is here to break down the report for us, Nancy.

So what types of debt are increasing right now? Is this like us maxing out our credit cards or what?

Well, actually, Sabri, credit card debt was down slightly in the first quarter of this year. The New York Fed says credit card balances dipped by $25 billion. Now, that's typical because spending usually falls at the beginning of the year

after surging during the holidays. Consumers spend a lot less in January. But other types of debt did

increase. So mortgage balances grew by $21 billion. Balances on home equity lines of credit were up by $12 billion. That was the 16th

consecutive quarterly increase, and car loan balances grew by $18 billion. I see student loan

balances are about the same, but more borrowers are in default? Yeah, about two and a half million more borrowers defaulted on their

student loans in the first quarter of the year. And the New York Fed also says they're older,

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