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Fortune
Fortune
Tristan Bove

Buy now, pay later is the new financial lifeline for lower-income Americans, as consumer loans pile up to $19 trillion

Customer paying for order of cheese in grocery shop. (Credit: Prostock-Studio)

Americans’ finances are getting stretched to historic margins, so the option to spread out payments on everyday purchases into multiple, usually interest-free installments has become increasingly appealing.

What could go wrong?

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