Why do financial experts say credit card debt is a 'financial emergency'?

Because the interest rate makes it uniquely destructive. According to Federal Reserve data, average credit card APRs have sat above 20% in recent years, far higher than mortgages, auto loans, or student loans. At that rate, a balance can nearly double in a few years if you only pay minimums, and there's essentially no investment that reliably beats a guaranteed 20%-plus 'return' from paying it off.

That's why the standard financial order of operations says to attack high-interest credit card debt before investing beyond an employer 401(k) match. Every dollar you throw at a 22% card is a guaranteed, tax-free 22% return. It also compounds against you daily, so delay is expensive. Treat it with the same urgency as a leak flooding your house: stop the bleeding first.