US households are using debt to fight inflation

US households are fighting inflation with debt.
Total consumer credit rose by 25 billion dollars in March to a record 5.14 trillion dollars.
Credit card debt also jumped sharply, while auto and student loans pushed non-revolving credit to a new high.
Since 2020, total consumer credit has risen by more than 1 trillion dollars.
That is not a clean sign of strength.
It is a sign that households are stretching.