Luis Alvarez | Digitalvision | Getty ImagesHouseholds increased debt during the third quarter at the fastest pace in 15 years due to hefty increases in credit card usage and mortgage balances, the Federal Reserve reported Tuesday.Total debt jumped by $351 billion for the July-to-September period, the largest nominal quarterly increase since 2007, bringing the collective household IOU in the U.S. to a fresh record $16.5 trillion, up 2.2% from the previous quarter and 8.3% from a year ago.The increase follows a $310 billion jump in the second quarter and represents a $1.27 trillion annual increase.Debt has surged over the past year due to inflation running near its highest pace in more than 40 years and amid rising interest rates and strong consumer demand.The biggest contributors to that debt load came from mortgage balances, which rose $1 trillion from a year …
