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Being broke and looking broke aren't the same thing. There are plenty of people with fancy job titles, brand new cars in the driveway and an endless penchant for bragging about how much money they have.
But look under the hood, and they're swimming in debt, struggling to stay afloat.
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Nearly two-thirds of American consumers are living paycheck to paycheck in 2026, according to the latest PYMNTS American Paycheck (1) report. As you might expect, that ratio is lower for high-income earners — but not by much.
In fact, roughly 46% of those annually earning more than $150,000 still live paycheck to paycheck.
Simply put, there are millions of "secretly broke" Americans. Here are seven money habits that could put you in the same category.
1. You're frequently financing everything
If you're turning to credit cards or buy now, pay later (BNPL) schemes to bridge the gap between your income and spending, it's potentially a sign of trouble.
It's also a growing trend across the country. Nearly half of those surveyed by consumer advocacy group Protect Borrowers (2) said they used BNPL services to buy basics like groceries. Roughly 42% used it for medical or dental care, and 39% used it for paying utility bills.
Meanwhile, credit card balances have ballooned to $1.26 trillion in the second quarter of 2026, according to the Federal Reserve Bank of New York (3).
When it comes to paying down multiple debts, there are two main strategies — the avalanche and the snowball methods.
The avalanche starts by wiping out your largest debt, which is typically a slow process, while maintaining the others. Then, once the big debt is dealt with, you funnel your funds into each smaller debt in turn. The snowball technique takes the opposite approach by paying off your smaller debts one after another to build up steam.
But managing multiple payments can require a lot of coordination. If you're struggling with a variety of monthly payments on credit card or BNPL debt, consolidating all your debts into a personal loan through Credible can an effective way to get rid of your debt faster.
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