The Normalization of Debt Isn't Normal

Debt has become so embedded and normalized, even encouraged, that people aren't just taking loans for big things anymore. They are financing everything because they can.  Having credit card balances while still spending normally has become the norm.  In the age of influencers on social media, people feel pressure to own certain things, live a certain lifestyle.  Are we using debt as an effective tool or has it become a parasitic dependency?  When did debt become as commonplace as it is? Has it always been this way or was there a watershed event?  Are this explosion in debt and upside down household balance sheets the new normal? Is it even sustainable?  In this week's Trading Perspectives, Sam Clement and John Norris discuss how debt became a way of life for so many Americans, what's driving the trend and whether our growing reliance on borrowing is ultimately sustainable.