Who really profits from "live for today"?
In Turkey, two out of three people say “Tomorrow is uncertain, let me live for today.” Over the same period, the number of people unable to pay card and loan debts hit record levels. Put side by side, these two figures look less like a mood and more like a business model.
In Brief
- In the first half of 2026, 1.116 million people in Turkey faced legal proceedings over unpaid credit card or personal loan debt.
- The number of people in default fell 19%, while the amount of non-performing loans jumped 89% to 342 billion lira.
- 200 dollars a month at an 8% annual return grows to about 117,000 dollars in 20 years; 48,000 of it is money put in.
The anxiety is measurable
The sense of insecurity is not just perception. Global military spending rose about 38% between 2010 and 2025, and the number of active armed conflicts has doubled. Global inflation is still 1.5 times pre-pandemic levels.
In a monthly survey of 25,000 people across 30 countries, inflation is Turkey’s number one concern. Four of the top five worries are directly about the wallet. Optimism stands at 43% for one’s own life, 28% for the country and 15% for the world.
Housing paints an even harsher picture. In a survey of 22,000 people, 71% believe young people cannot buy a suitable home no matter how hard they work.
Insecurity becomes a sales opportunity
The experience economy has been one of the fastest-growing consumer segments of the past decade: concert tours, exhibitions, new entertainment venues, coffee chains. A consumer who distrusts the future and has given up on saving is this sector’s most valuable customer.
Reports aimed at the industry say so openly: as uncertainty rises, every positive experience offered today has a bigger impact. “Live for today” is a freedom slogan on one side and a revenue projection on the other.
Credit cards defer the bill
About 60% of consumers use a credit card for almost all of their shopping. The card’s share of grocery spending rose from 46% to 53% in two years. Three out of four households now use meal vouchers for groceries.
About half of card users cannot pay off their balance in full. A monthly card rate of around 6% means an annual cost above 60%. Fewer people defaulting with much larger debts shows that card debt now finances a lifestyle.
Same 200 dollars, two directions
Picture two 30-year-olds on the same salary. One spends 200 dollars a month, about 8,000 lira at today’s rate, on concerts, eating out and short trips, paying much of it by card and in installments. Ten years later, what remains is memories and years of carried card debt.
The other automatically sends the same 200 dollars each month into dollar-based US funds that both grow and pay dividends. Assuming 8% a year, that becomes about 36,600 dollars in 10 years and about 117,000 dollars in 20. Total contributions are 48,000 dollars; the remaining 70,000 is the money’s own return.
The key difference is neither income nor intelligence; it is the direction of the money and automating that direction. On a balanced path, the experience budget is not deleted; it is capped at a fixed share of salary and paid in cash.
Key Assets
| Asset | Outlook | Why? | Key Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| Credit card debt | Under pressure | Half not paid in full, very high interest | ~6% monthly rate |
| Non-performing loans | Negative | Fewer people, much larger debts | 342 billion TRY |
| SCHD (Schwab dividend ETF) | Watching | ~100 firms with 10 straight years of dividends | — |
| VIG (Vanguard dividend appreciation ETF) | Watching | Firms raising dividends for at least 10 years | — |
| MGV and FDVV | Watching | Large value firms and high-dividend focus | — |
What to Watch
- No investment vehicle reliably beats a card debt cost above 60% a year.
- Paying for experiences in installments makes it easy to exceed a spending limit without noticing.
- The 8% annual return is an assumption; dollar-based funds can fall in value at times.
This note was compiled from open-source data and content available online; it does not constitute investment advice.
This article is for general information only and is not investment advice.