Record-level credit card debt and fluctuating incomes create financial challenges for many American households, especially those with lower incomes. The effects may be felt especially keenly in black households, where historic and systemic racial discrimination has led to greater disparities in wealth and debt. But there are moves that families facing such hardships can make to better their finances, including improving their credit profile and seeking alternatives to risky products such as payday loans. DEEPLY ROOTED DISPARITIES IN DEBT AND WEALTH Disparity in wealth and debt feed into one another, says Pamela Chan, project director of human insights at Prosperity Now, a nonprofit based in Washington, D.C.