Senior in Debt

More than half of those surveyed had saved less than $50,000 — and many of that group said they'd saved absolutely nothing — yet they retired anyway. Just 4% said they had delayed their retirement due to debt.


"They get to a certain age and they feel privileged," Ellington said. "They say, 'I'm going to go on that trip even though I have to put it on my credit card.'"

When you're young, you have time to pay off splurges like a trip to Hawaii, but for retirees, procrastination can lead to serious financial problems.

It's not just vacations and entertainment; one of the biggest sources of senior debt is medical expenses. More than 75% of the seniors surveyed said they went into debt for medical or funeral expenses.

Part of the reason they're not paying off their debts is they don't know where to start and they're too embarrassed to ask for help. But the financial crisis may have also played a role.

"Financial institutions haven't been perceived as the most friendly" and many people blame them for the recession, Ellington said. "They think, 'Hey, I'm not going to pay back these guys who ripped off America.'"

One of the biggest mistakes seniors make when it comes to credit cards is being late with a payment.

"That triggers a penalty APR that can exceed 30%, which can trap those seniors who can't pay their balances in full each month in a downward spiral of debt," said Ben Woolsey, the director of marketing and consumer research at CreditCards.com.

And while many retirees who are being quietly buried under a mound of debt may think they're protecting their kids by not burdening them with their financial problems, if they don't pay off their debts before they die, it will eventually become their children's burden.


Whatever that parent owes will be deducted from his or her estate before that estate is divided among the children and other beneficiaries.

Imagine a scenario where the kids are bickering over who gets mom's house and, in the end, no one gets it because it had to be sold to pay off mom's credit-card debt.

"That is a very realistic scenario," Ellington said. "A lot of kids don't find out how much their parents are struggling until they pass away."

Unfortunately, this debt denial isn't exclusive to seniors: Among those surveyed who had not yet retired, 25% said they were carrying debt of $5,000 or more — yet more than half said they didn't plan to delay retiring because of debt.

And more than one in four said they weren't worried about paying off their debt in their lifetime.

Another mistake they make is relying on debt-settlement companies when they get into trouble.

"It's much better to contact card companies directly to work out repayment plans or work with a non-profit debt-counseling service rather than a fee-based settlement company," Woolsey said.

Or declare BANKRUPTCY.