U.S. households are taking on more credit card debt as persistent living costs put increasing pressure on family budgets, with total balances approaching a record high and a growing share of debt moving into serious delinquency.

Credit card balances increased by $21 billion in the second quarter of 2026 to $1.26 trillion, up 1.7% from the previous quarter, according to a quarterly household debt report released Tuesday by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. The balance is approaching last year’s record of $1.28 trillion.

The deterioration in credit quality is drawing particular attention. The share of credit card balances classified as being in “late-stage delinquency,” meaning payments are more than 90 days overdue, rose to 12.8% in the second quarter from 7.6% a year earlier, according to the New York Fed.

The researchers said the increase has raised concerns about household debt stress reaching levels reminiscent of the period around the Great Recession. They cautioned, however, that the measure is a lagging indicator because it includes older debts that have already been charged off but continue to appear on consumers’ credit reports.

More recent delinquency data provide a less severe picture. New credit card delinquencies have remained broadly steady, although they are still elevated. About 6.97% of credit card balances transitioned into delinquency over the past year, according to the New York Fed.

“To us it reflects this K-shaped economy,” New York Fed researchers said during a press call Tuesday, pointing to the widening financial divide between households with greater financial resilience and those struggling to meet everyday expenses.

“There are a lot of households that live paycheck to paycheck.”

The scale of credit card borrowing underscores the vulnerability. About 175 million Americans have credit cards, and roughly 60% carry revolving balances rather than paying their bills in full each month, according to the New York Fed.

The rise in revolving debt is occurring alongside greater use of other forms of borrowing. Matt Schulz, chief credit analyst at LendingTree, said the increase in credit card debt, home equity lines of credit and other consumer loans indicates that households are increasingly using debt to stretch their budgets.

“The rise in credit card debt, HELOC debt and other debts, which include personal loans, clearly show that people are looking for ways to extend their budget in the face of stubborn inflation,” Schulz said.

Home equity lines of credit, or HELOCs, and home equity loans have also represented a larger share of household borrowing this year, adding another layer to the changing composition of consumer debt.

Separate research from debt-management company Achieve suggests that borrowing is increasingly being used for basic household needs rather than discretionary purchases. More than half, or 55%, of consumers surveyed said they carry credit card balances to pay for essential expenses.

That pattern raises concerns about the sustainability of the borrowing. Brad Stroh, Achieve’s co-founder and co-CEO, said short-term debt can initially serve as a temporary solution when household income falls short of expenses, but rising living costs and interest charges can turn that temporary financing into longer-term financial strain.

Among 2,000 consumers surveyed by Achieve in June, 56% of borrowers said they expected it would take at least six months to pay off all their credit card debt.

The data point to a consumer economy increasingly divided along financial lines. Aggregate credit card balances have not yet returned to their previous record, and the relatively stable flow of new delinquencies suggests that a broad-based deterioration in repayment behavior has not occurred. But the sharp increase in late-stage delinquency, combined with continued reliance on revolving credit for essential expenses, signals that a significant segment of U.S. households has little room to absorb higher costs.

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission has settled fraud charges against Adit Ventures Management, its founder and three partners over alleged misconduct involving investments in private companies including SpaceX and Klarna, adding to growing regulatory scrutiny of the rapidly expanding pre-IPO investment market.

The SEC said on Monday that Adit Ventures used “false claims and promises” to solicit investors into funds it managed and used client money for the firm’s own benefit, including through undisclosed unsecured loans made on favorable terms.

Adit Ventures agreed to a consent order without admitting or denying the SEC’s allegations. The settlement requires the firm and the other defendants to pay disgorgement and a civil penalty, although the order still requires approval from a federal judge.

Adit Ventures founder and Chief Investment Officer Eric Munson denied the allegations.

“Let me be unequivocal: I have delivered for my investors, and I reject these allegations completely,” Munson said in a statement.

He said he agreed to settle because continuing to fight the case would not benefit him or the investors he had served throughout his career.

The case highlights the risks emerging as wealthy investors and funds seek access to private companies whose valuations have soared before going public. Unlike listed stocks, private-market investments often involve special-purpose vehicles, secondary transactions and complex ownership structures that can make it harder for investors to determine exactly what assets they own and at what price.

According to the SEC’s complaint, Munson solicited an investor by falsely claiming that one of his funds owned shares in a private pre-IPO company. The regulator also alleged that the defendants purchased pre-IPO shares and subsequently directed client funds to acquire those shares at a higher price while misrepresenting the defendants’ original acquisition cost.

Such transactions can create significant conflicts of interest because fund managers may effectively profit from selling assets to their own clients at marked-up prices. The SEC’s allegations place that potential conflict at the center of the Adit Ventures case.

The regulatory action comes as private companies remain private for longer and attract large pools of capital before entering public markets. Investors seeking exposure to companies such as SpaceX, Klarna and major artificial-intelligence startups have turned to secondary transactions and investment vehicles rather than waiting for conventional initial public offerings.

The complexity of those structures has already generated regulatory and legal concerns elsewhere in the market.

Last December, a New York investment manager was indicted after prosecutors alleged that he promised investors access to nonpublic shares of drone manufacturer Anduril Industries despite not having access to the company’s stock. Three sales executives were also arrested in February in connection with an alleged pre-IPO fraud scheme, according to the U.S. authorities.

Anthropic has separately warned prospective investors about funds claiming to provide indirect exposure to its shares. The artificial-intelligence company said earlier this year that it was aware of investment funds making such claims and sought to protect individuals from potentially invalid share transfers or investment fraud.

Anthropic said transfers of its shares that had not been approved by its board were void and that investors were prohibited from gaining exposure to its financing rounds through unauthorized special-purpose vehicles.

The cases indicate that a broader problem is emerging in private markets: demand for access to highly valued startups can outpace the availability of legitimate shares. That creates an environment in which intermediaries can command substantial premiums for exposure to sought-after companies while investors may have limited visibility into the underlying assets, valuation and ownership structure.

The SEC’s action against Adit Ventures therefore extends beyond one investment firm. It comes as regulators face a growing challenge in applying investor-protection standards to a private-market ecosystem that has expanded rapidly alongside the rise of large technology companies.

For investors, the central risk is moving from whether a highly valued private company will eventually deliver a successful IPO, to whether the investment vehicle actually owns the shares it claims to own. And in addition, whether the price paid accurately reflects the underlying transaction, and whether the interests of the fund manager are aligned with those of its clients.

Vingroup-backed aerospace company targets full-service space business as Hanoi seeks to build regional satellite and space-data capabilities

Vietnamese aerospace company VinSpace said on Tuesday it has signed an agreement with SpaceX to launch its first satellites in 2027, marking a significant step in the country’s efforts to build a domestic space industry and expand its capabilities in satellite technology.

VinSpace said its satellites will be deployed aboard a SpaceX Transporter rideshare mission, a launch model that allows multiple customers to place satellites into orbit on a single rocket and share launch costs.

The agreement gives the Vietnamese company access to SpaceX’s established launch infrastructure while allowing it to focus on developing the satellites and related technologies. VinSpace said the satellites will test its technology in orbit and support future commercial applications.

The company did not disclose the value of the contract, the number of satellites involved or their specifications.

“Reliable access to space is fundamental to turning satellite innovation into operational missions,” VinSpace Chief Executive Thu Vu said in a statement.

The deal comes as Vietnam seeks to move beyond its relatively limited role in the global space sector and develop domestic expertise in satellite manufacturing, space-based data and related commercial services.

VinSpace, part of Vietnamese conglomerate Vingroup, was established in November 2025. It announced in April that it planned to develop and launch its first satellites in 2027. The company said the SpaceX agreement forms part of a broader strategy to become a full-service aerospace business, with ambitions spanning satellite design and manufacturing, launch management, satellite operations and space-based data services.

That strategy fits into Vietnam’s broader industrial push to develop high-technology sectors that can generate higher-value exports and reduce reliance on lower-cost manufacturing.

Vingroup, founded by billionaire Pham Nhat Vuong, is Vietnam’s largest privately owned company and has businesses spanning real estate, retail, healthcare, education and tourism. The conglomerate has increasingly expanded into technology-intensive industries, including electric vehicles, artificial intelligence, robotics and space.

The group’s investment in aerospace therefore gives Vietnam’s emerging space sector a major domestic corporate backer with capital and an established industrial ecosystem.

Vietnam Targets Bigger Role in Southeast Asian Space Industry

Vietnam has been developing space capabilities for several decades, although it remains a relatively small participant in the global space industry. The country launched its first telecommunications satellite in 2008 and a second in 2012, according to official documents. In March, it inaugurated a space science and technology center in Hanoi’s Hoa Lac High-Tech Park, designed to strengthen satellite development and the use of space-based data.

Vietnam has set a goal of becoming a mid-level space power in Southeast Asia by 2030.

The government’s strategy was designed amid the growing economic importance of satellite technology. Space-based systems can support telecommunications, navigation, agriculture, environmental monitoring, disaster management, logistics and national security, while satellite data can also provide inputs for commercial applications.

VinSpace’s planned missions could therefore serve as an initial step toward developing capabilities that extend beyond simply owning or operating satellites.

The use of a rideshare mission is also significant for an emerging space company because it provides a relatively cost-efficient route into orbit compared with arranging a dedicated launch. For VinSpace, gaining operational experience in satellite development and orbital missions could help establish the technical foundation for larger commercial projects.

The agreement also expands SpaceX’s relationship with Vietnam.

In February, Vietnam allowed SpaceX to launch its Starlink satellite internet service in the country. The decision was viewed by some analysts as partly aimed at helping Vietnam avoid potential U.S. tariffs, while also giving the country access to SpaceX’s satellite broadband network.

Starlink has since begun accepting orders in Vietnam.

The relationship gives SpaceX a growing presence across several parts of Vietnam’s emerging space and telecommunications ecosystem, while providing Vietnamese companies with access to one of the world’s most established commercial launch and satellite operators.

However, the partnership offers Vietnam an opportunity to accelerate space-industry development without having to build the entire launch infrastructure domestically. For VinSpace, the launch agreement is seen as only an initial milestone. This is because building a commercially viable aerospace business will require the company to demonstrate that it can successfully design, manufacture and operate satellites, develop customers for space-based data and convert those capabilities into recurring revenue.

The 2027 mission will therefore be an important test of both VinSpace’s technology and Vietnam’s ambitions to establish itself as a more significant player in Southeast Asia’s rapidly developing space economy.