Fed: Consumers Cut Back On Card Spending In April

Consumer credit outstanding during April rose at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 4.25%, but Americans cut back on their borrowing with revolving credit, primarily credit cards, which increased only 0.4% during April compared with 7.4% growth in March and 1.1% growth in April 2007, according to preliminary estimates in the Federal Reserve Board's monthly Consumer Credit survey, released Friday. The growth in consumer credit came from a 6.5% increase in borrowing on nonrevolving accounts, primarily consisting of closed-end loans for such items as mobile homes, tuition and vacations. The total increase in April's consumer credit outstanding compares with a 6.2% seasonally adjusted growth rate during March and a 0.2% growth rate in April 2007. Revolving credit (card borrowing) during April equaled $956.9 billion, up just 0.03% from $956.6 billion in March but rising 7.8% from $887.6 billion in April 2007. Total consumer credit outstanding in April was $2.56 trillion, rising only a fraction of a percent from March and up 5.3% from nearly $2.43 trillion in April 2007. Nonrevolving credit outstanding approached $1.61 trillion in April, up 0.62% from $1.6 trillion in March and up 4.5% from $1.54 trillion in April 2007.