As Americans take on more debt, some pockets of concern

U.S. consumers now owe roughly $12.73 trillion to banks and other lenders for mortgages, car loans and credit card spending, according to the New York Federal Reserve.

Economists generally say people's willingness to borrow is a good thing, because it shows they're more confident about their financial futures.

[...] the economy is in far better shape than a decade ago, when economists called the debt unsustainable and the housing market crashed.

"Some of us are worried that consumers are going back into old habits, but the U.S. consumer is in a much different position before the financial crisis and even before in the late 1990s," said Ryan Sweet, an economist with Moody's Analytics who is not related to the AP reporter.

The stress points now are in three main categories: auto loans, credit cards and — to a greater extent but for different reasons — student loans.

"If it's not a tool you can use to build stability and long-term net worth, debt leads to more problems than it can solve," said Todd Christensen, a credit counselor with the nonprofit organization Debt Reduction Services.

Not all debt is considered equal, and both mortgages and student loans have typically been considered ways for people to leverage themselves into a better life.

A home loan historically has been a way for middle-class Americans to build wealth, while student loans helped people get better-paying jobs.

Delinquent student loans can hurt a person's credit score, and affect the ability for a first-time buyer to qualify for a mortgage.

[...] after years of trending lower, Federal Reserve data shows credit card delinquencies have reversed course and are climbing again — albeit still from relatively low levels.

[...] unlike mortgages, most auto loans and student loans, credit card rates are variable, and can move higher as the prime rate does.