35 Percent Of Americans Have Debt In Collections

More than a third of Americans have unpaid debt that's been reported to a collection agency, according to a study out today from The Urban Institute.

That could be anything from delinquent credit card bills or hospital bills to mortgages or student loans, or even something that might seem as minor as an unpaid gym membership. The vast majority of unpaid bills belong to people in the South and the West.

Here & Now's Jeremy Hobson talks to Jason Bellini of the Wall Street Journal about how all that delinquent debt shapes people's lives, and the economy.