Data from the National Association of Credit Bureaus (ANBC) shows that the balance between credit and default can be a challenge, depending on the generation; financial education can have a positive impact on this scenario, according to data from the Central Bank The start of the year is a good opportunity to reorganize finances, set goals, define priorities and, in the event of arrears, seek to renegotiate debts. A good way to start is by diagnosing your financial life, consulting your credit rating through credit bureaus.
“The data shows that the balance between credit and default can be a challenge, depending on the generational group. Considering the population as a whole, around four out of every ten Brazilians over the age of 18 entered 2025 with a negative name,” says Elias Sfeir, president of the National Association of Credit Bureaus (ANBC). When analyzing this phenomenon by age group, there is a high concentration of 25 to 50 year olds. Some of the economic and social challenges facing these generations explain the data:
The “Arc of Life” shows that the evolution of default depends on conjunctural variables, such as income, and behavioral factors. It's in the accumulation of these commitments that many people lose their way, ultimately ending up in default. Although it is lower than in the general population, access to financial services by younger people (aged 18 to 24 or generation Z) has been growing in recent years. According to the World Bank's Global Findex, the percentage of young people aged 15 to 24 with a bank account more than doubled between 2011 and 2021, from 36.3% to 79.9%. Credit card ownership rose from 32.5% to 70.1%. “It's very likely that, for this generation, the first and only known form of money transfer was the PIX and that banking takes place through a screen,” says Sfeir.
With increased access to financial services, younger people are likely to reach their 30s with more time using these services than previous generations, for better or worse. This is because the financial relationship history that these young people are building has an increasing weight in credit analysis. Data from the Central Bank on the long-term impact of financial education shows that among young people exposed to this knowledge during their school years, the likelihood of default years later was lower than among the rest. “The scenario can change quickly. Changes in behavior and the assimilation of good financial habits, on the other hand, take time. Hence the need to invest in financial training for young people, so that they take good practices into adulthood and establish a healthy relationship with credit,” concludes Sfeir.
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