While official APRA data shows that growth in credit card balances has slowed sharply in the last decade, research published this week by another government agency indicates that excessive use of credit is now the most common trigger of personal insolvency.A research report published by the Australian Financial Security Authority for the 12 months to the end of June found that over-borrowing has overtaken unemployment and marital breakdowns as the main driver of individuals hitting the wall.It is the first time that unmanageable household borrowing has been identified as the leading cause of debtors entering insolvency.According to AFSA excessive use of credit accounted for 8870 personal insolvencies last year, followed by unemployment or loss of income (8,305 cases) and relationship breakdown (3,222 cases). Ill-health, gambling and adverse legal decisions were cited as less significant causes.Together, these triggers accounted for 82 per cent of all insolvencies compared to only 18 per cent for business-related causes.The AFSA data underlines a marked shift in the causal pattern of financial disruption, which might be expected to persist as Australian households continue to service record levels of debt.Home lenders and mortgage brokers can probably expect the regulatory spotlight in the financial services industry to remain vigilantly fixed on responsible lending for as long as the new trend intensifies.The number of Australians entering insolvency rose last year by more than 750 to 25,225 - the highest recorded since 2011/12.However, over-borrowing remains a secondary factor in cases of extreme hardship where insolvent debtors are declared bankrupt by courts.Although the number of people declared bankrupt last year declined by more than 500 to 12, 416, AFSA data shows that unemployment was the biggest cause, accounting for 4,184 cases.Over-borrowing was isolated as the cause of just under 2600 bankruptcies.