The average American is carrying more debt than ever. According to the 2004 Survey of Consumer Finances (SCF), the percentage of families holding debt rose from 72.3 percent in 1989 to 76.4 percent in 2004. Among families holding debt, the median value of the debt more than doubled during that time from $22,000 to $55,300 (in 2004 dollars). These numbers reflect both a rise in collateralized debt (e.g., mort-gages) and uncollateralized debt (e.g., credit cards). During the same period, median family income increased by only 12.8 percent to $43,100.

This shift toward more debt appears to have long-term ramifications for the U.S. economy, as evidenced by the growing number of personal ...

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