A frightening rise in debt figures

The next time you encounter somebody spouting-off (slang) about the rich and wealthy boomers let them have a salvo of these statistics.

The UK’s Foundation for Credit Counselling – Britain's leading debt charity has found over-indebtedness is rising fastest among the over 40s, with particularly marked increases in the debts of those aged 60.

Shot 1 - clients aged between 40 and 59 not only have the highest levels of debt, owing an average of £34, 456, but their numbers are increasing at a faster rate than any other group;

Shot 2 - increases in the amounts of money owed is accelerating most rapidly among the over-60s, rising by 25 percent during 2005 to £33,568 compared with £26,965 in 2004

Shot 3 - young clients (aged 18-24) owe an average of £15, 079 – half the amount owed by the over 60s

A frightening set of facts to end the week - time for a drink. Dick Stroud