For decades, middleclass America has been the bastion of economic growth and activity. Today, the United States might be witnessing the fall of this segment as their debts shoot through the roof. The financial crisis has definitely hit ordinary Americans the hardest. But before you blame everything on the bankers, it should also be noted that over 100,000 middle-class families filed for bankruptcy every month since 2007.

Statistics shows that one in five Americans today is either unemployed or underemployed. One in eight is in foreclosure or default. And one in nine can’t pay the minimum repayment required on their credit cards. People who are about to retire are also facing incredible challenges because the crisis has just wiped out more than $5 trillion on their wealth (savings and pensions). The list of blogs below highlights other developments that might signal the end of middleclass Americans.

The Rebel News, in the post “US Middle Class Hit Hard by Current Economic Vows”, summarizes key findings that show the vulnerability of ordinary Americans. It also stated that classic lifesavers such as real estate ownership and higher education have lost its powers in the current condition. It has, in fact, become liabilities to the financial system.

Ronni @ Time Goes By wrote a post titled “Imagining Life without a Middle Class”. He gives readers the big picture and the small picture. In the latter, he recounted that most people are spending most of their income on necessities. If this trend goes on, there will not be enough disposable income for any other activity.

Elizabeth Warren @ Huffington Posts compiled research statistics in the post “America without a Middle Class” that demonstrate the fall of the United State’s middle market. Among the key figures that were showed include the comparison between productivity & compensation, income growth during boom times, and the median income of households.

It shouldn’t come as a surprise but many are still concerned about the increase in auto loan delinquency during the third quarter of this year. More Americans were late in their loan repayment as job cuts and lay-offs continued. The auto delinquency rate is determined by the amount of people who fall behind 60 days or more on their repayments.

It edged up to 0.81 percent in the July-September quarter. This increase reflects both seasonal trends and the weak economy. It’s actually quite common for late payments to occur during this period because borrowers focus on other expenses. Many of them get back on track during the first and second quarters. But amid these worrying figures, there are some bright spots.

Washington DC, for example, experienced a significant rate decrease in delinquency. Other states such as North Dakota, South Dakota, Colorado, Louisiana, Maryland, and Vermont also saw a decrease as well. North and South Dakota typically have the lowest delinquency rates in the United States for all kinds of loans. It is the improvements see in states like Louisiana that can be seen as a sign of recovery. Year-on-year, the state’s auto delinquency rate plummeted by over 14 percent.

While it is too early to say for certain, some analysts believe that the some spots in the country are starting to recover faster than the others. The relatively small increase in delinquency compared to 2008 also reveals that these types of loans are quite difficult to get today because financial companies have raised their lending standards.

Meanwhile, consumers are also trying to cut spending and taking on fewer loans. The rate of auto delinquency followed the results of mortgage delinquency. On the other hand, credit card delinquency mellowed in the third quarter from the second.

With almost every American feeling the pinch, every little bit counts. Some hopes are pinned on e-commerce sales in the United States. However, even as it toppled analysts’ sales estimates, it is unlikely to be large enough to change the outlook in holiday spending this season. According to Forester Research Inc, e-commerce represents only about 6 percent of total spending, while significant, it is not enough to offset the pace of decline in in-store sales.

Online retailers have a lot to be happy about though. Online sales are around 14 percent higher so far compared to last year. A lot of consumers are going online to compare holiday deals and search for discounts. As such, traditional retailers are given a chance to increase their sales by offering irresistible deals.

But people are not only looking for deals on the internet, they are also browsing in stores like Best Buy Co, Target, and Wal-Mart to save money. This year, more people visited stores during the Thanksgiving weekend but they spent less on average. The trend worries many retailers but they are coming up with ways to stay profitable.

According to the chief executive officer of Mercent Corp, “retailers are being aggressive with promotions and a low-cost assortment of goods and value-conscious consumers are responsive to those deals.” Mercent tracks sales associated with internet advertising from 120 merchants. That is, the number of clicks on internet ads that result in sales.

The last several days marked the start of the holiday shopping season in America. Black Friday, the first day after Thanksgiving, is traditionally the time when retailers start becoming profitable. This year, it was promoted as “Cyber Monday” because of the boost in internet shopping.