The New York Fed’s Quarterly Report on Household Debt and Credit is not a rate sheet. It does not contain your APR, your term length, or your monthly payment. What it contains is a quarterly snapshot of aggregate auto loan balances, originations, and delinquency transitions, drawn from the New York Fed Consumer Credit Panel — a nationally representative sample of anonymized Equifax credit report data. Credit reports show balances and payment status. They do not show the interest rate or contractual terms of any individual loan.
That distinction matters if you are shopping for a used auto loan this quarter or trying to understand the terms you already signed. The report tells you what is happening across roughly $1.67 trillion in outstanding auto debt. It does not tell you what your lender will offer you, and it does not tell you what you are paying now. Here is what the report actually measures, what it leaves out, and where your own loan terms actually live.
What the report measures — and what it does not
The Household Debt and Credit Report is built from the Consumer Credit Panel, which the New York Fed describes as a nationally representative sample drawn from anonymized Equifax credit data. The report provides a quarterly snapshot of household trends in borrowing and indebtedness, including data about mortgages, student loans, credit cards, auto loans, and delinquencies.
That data set captures balances, account status, and payment history. It does not capture the interest rate, term length, or monthly payment on any individual auto loan. When the report says auto loan balances increased by $12 billion to $1.67 trillion in Q4 2025, that is an aggregate across all auto loan accounts in the sample. When it says there were $181 billion in new auto loans appearing on credit reports during Q4 2025 — a small dip from the $184 billion observed in Q3 2025 — that is a measure of origination volume, not of the terms on which those loans were made.
The report also tracks delinquency transitions. The flow into serious delinquency for auto loan debt was 2.95% in Q4 2025, compared to 2.96% in Q4 2024. That figure tells you what share of auto loan balances moved into 90-plus days past due during the quarter. It does not tell you whether those loans were used or new, what rates they carried, or what terms they had. The report aggregates all auto loan debt.
Where used auto loan terms actually show up
If you want to know what is happening to auto loan rates and terms at the aggregate level, the Federal Reserve’s G.19 Consumer Credit release is the better source. The G.19 reports average interest rates on new car loans at commercial banks. In August 2026, the average rate on a 60-month new car loan at commercial banks was 7.54%. The average rate on a 72-month new car loan was 7.17%.
Those are averages, not your rate. The G.19 notes that interest rates for new-car loans at commercial banks are simple unweighted averages of each bank’s most common rate charged during the first calendar week of the middle month of each quarter. That methodology means the published rate reflects what banks said their most common rate was during a single week, not what any individual borrower actually paid.
The G.19 also reports finance company new car loan terms. In Q2 2026, the average maturity was 67 months and the average amount financed was $41,705. Again, these are averages across finance companies, not terms for any specific loan.
Two gaps are worth noting. First, the G.19 reports new car loan rates, not used car loan rates. Used auto loan rates are typically higher than new car rates, and the retrieved sources do not provide used car loan rate data. Second, the G.19 reports averages across institutions. Your lender’s rate sheet — the internal document that sets pricing by credit tier, term, and loan-to-value — is where your specific rate is determined. That document is not public.
How aggregate credit conditions reach your specific loan
The transmission from broad credit conditions to your used auto loan runs through your lender’s underwriting and pricing decisions. The New York Fed report is a lagging indicator of what already happened in credit markets. It shows up in the report weeks or months after the loans were originated and the balances were furnished to the credit bureaus.
The chain works like this: your lender sets rates based on its cost of funds, its loss expectations, and competitive conditions. Those rates appear on the lender’s rate sheet. When you sign, your contracted APR and term are fixed in your loan documents. Your servicer then furnishes your balance and payment status to the credit bureaus on a monthly cycle — typically within 30 days of your statement date. The New York Fed’s Consumer Credit Panel picks up that furnished data from Equifax, and the report aggregates it quarterly.
So the report you are reading this quarter reflects loans that were originated and furnished in prior months. It is not a predictor of what your lender will offer you next week. It is a measure of what already happened across the market.
What to check on your own loan
If you want to know your used auto loan terms, the report will not tell you. Your loan documents will. Here is where to look:
- Your loan contract or lender statement: The contracted APR and term length are stated in your loan agreement. Your monthly statement shows your current balance, payment amount, and how much of each payment goes to principal versus interest. If you have a simple-interest loan, your daily interest accrual is based on your APR divided by 365, multiplied by your principal balance.
- Your credit report: Your auto loan appears as an installment account. The report shows your balance, your scheduled payment, your payment history, and the date the account was opened. It does not show your APR or term length. You can request a free report from each of the three nationwide credit bureaus at AnnualCreditReport.com.
- Your lender’s rate sheet: This is not public, but if you are shopping for a new loan, you can ask the lender what rate tier your credit score falls into and what the corresponding APR is for the term you want. The rate sheet is the document that maps credit score, term, and loan-to-value to a specific rate.
If you are trying to benchmark whether your current rate is in a typical range, the G.19 averages are a rough starting point — but remember they cover new car loans, not used. Used auto loan rates are typically higher. The G.19 does not report used car loan rates separately.
When a refinance or term change is worth investigating
The New York Fed report does not tell you whether to refinance. But the data it publishes can inform the question. If aggregate auto loan balances are growing and delinquency flows are stable, that suggests lenders are still extending credit and borrowers are still paying. If delinquency flows are rising, lenders may tighten underwriting standards, which can mean higher rates for new borrowers.
For your own loan, the relevant question is whether your current APR is above what you could qualify for today given your credit score and the loan-to-value on your vehicle. Used car values have been volatile, and if your vehicle has depreciated faster than your loan balance has declined, you may be underwater — owing more than the car is worth. That makes refinancing harder because the new lender has less collateral to secure the loan.
If you are considering a refinance, check your credit score first. The rate you are offered will depend on the tier your score falls into on the lender’s rate sheet. A score improvement of 20 to 30 points can move you to a different tier and a lower rate. The transmission from your credit score to your offered rate is direct: the lender pulls your score, maps it to a tier, and applies the rate from the rate sheet for that tier and term.
What the report is good for
The Household Debt and Credit Report is useful for understanding the aggregate direction of auto lending. It shows whether balances are growing or shrinking, whether originations are picking up or slowing, and whether delinquency flows are rising or stable. Those are market-level signals.
They are not your loan terms. Your loan terms are in your contract, on your statement, and on your credit report. The report tells you what is happening across the market. Your documents tell you what is happening to you.
Frequently asked questions
Does the New York Fed report show used auto loan interest rates?
No. The report is built from credit report data, which does not include interest rates or contractual terms. It shows balances, originations, and delinquency transitions. The G.19 release reports average new car loan rates at commercial banks, but it does not report used car loan rates separately.
How often is the Household Debt and Credit Report updated?
It is released quarterly. The Q4 2025 report was released on February 10, 2026. The data reflects credit report information furnished by lenders and servicers, which typically appears on your credit report within 30 days of your statement date.
Where can I find my own auto loan APR and term?
Your loan contract states the APR and term length. Your monthly statement shows your current balance and payment amount. Your credit report shows your balance and payment history but not your APR or term. You can request free credit reports at AnnualCreditReport.com.
What is the lag between when I make a payment and when it shows on my credit report?
Servicers typically furnish data to the credit bureaus monthly, within 30 days of your statement date. The bureau then updates your report. The New York Fed’s Consumer Credit Panel draws from Equifax data, so the report reflects that furnished data with a quarterly aggregation lag.
Does the report tell me whether to refinance my used auto loan?
No. The report provides aggregate market data. Whether to refinance depends on your specific APR, your credit score, your vehicle’s current value, and your remaining loan balance. Check your loan documents and your credit report for those figures.
What does the G.19 report show for auto loan terms?
The G.19 reports average interest rates on new car loans at commercial banks and finance company new car loan terms. In August 2026, the average rate on a 60-month new car loan at commercial banks was 7.54%, and the average rate on a 72-month new car loan was 7.17%. Finance company new car loans had an average maturity of 67 months and an average amount financed of $41,705 in Q2 2026. These are averages, not individual loan terms.
Where can I find data on auto loan originations by credit score?
The CFPB’s Consumer Credit Trends dashboards track originations for auto loans and other credit products, drawing from a nationally representative sample of credit records. The dashboards were last updated on January 15, 2025. The New York Fed report also includes charts on auto loan originations by credit score, based on Equifax Risk Score 3.0.
How does a rate hold affect my auto loan?
If you have a fixed-rate auto loan, your rate does not change when the Federal Reserve holds or changes its policy rate. Your rate is fixed for the term of the loan. If you have a variable-rate auto loan, your rate may be tied to an index, and the lender’s rate sheet determines how changes in that index pass through to your payment. For a broader look at how rate holds affect different types of consumer credit, see What a Rate Hold Actually Means for Credit Card Borrowers.
