Key Takeaways
- U.S. consumer credit increased by $9.18 billion in October 2025, significantly missing analyst expectations of $11.80 billion and falling from September's $13.09 billion.
- Total U.S. consumer debt reached $18.09 trillion as of October 2025, marking a 2.9% increase year-over-year.
- Republican Attorneys General launched a probe in May 2025 into Apple (AAPL) and Google (GOOGL) over their handling of Chinese-owned applications like TikTok and Deep Seek, citing data privacy concerns and federal law.
U.S. consumer credit saw a notable slowdown in October 2025, with a reported increase of $9.18 billion. This figure came in below the market's estimated $11.80 billion and represented a decrease from the $13.09 billion recorded in September 2025, indicating a potential cooling in consumer borrowing.
Overall, total U.S. consumer debt reached $18.09 trillion by October 2025, reflecting a 2.9% rise compared to the same period last year. Within this, outstanding bankcard balances climbed to $1.08 trillion, an increase of 3.7% year-over-year, while auto loans and leases saw a 1.3% rise to $1.685 trillion.
Separately, tech giants Apple (AAPL) and Google (GOOGL), the parent company of Alphabet (GOOGL), continue to face scrutiny over app-related issues. In May 2025, Republican Attorneys General initiated a probe into both companies concerning their distribution of Chinese-owned applications such as TikTok and Deep Seek. The inquiry focuses on potential violations of state consumer protection laws and the "Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act," raising ongoing data privacy concerns.
Ed Liston is a senior contributing editor at TheStockMarketWatch.com. An active market watcher and investor, Ed guides an independent team of experienced analysts and writes for multiple stock trader publications.