Keep in mind CC was not on good ground going into whatever this is they are calling it, "economic down turn". Remember they were trying to find a buyer or merge with another company. There was the merge talk with Blockbuster for awhile and I think even Starbuck's.

When I worked for an electronics distributor our credit line was with the manufacturer themselves. If that was strained from slow pay or at it's limit I could see how maybe a loan from outside would help. We always got the ole back order story but little did we know the product didn't come in because the company needed to pay up. They eventually went out of business. Not room for distributors when the big box stores appeared and basically sold to the public at distributor prices.

I am impatient to a fault. I use credit for large purchases. Luckily, I also have a good measure of self control. I pretty much know what my budget can go so I don't borrow more than I can pay off in a reasonable time. I'd rather pay some interest and enjoy my purchase while I pay for it. That is also how I get my hands on gear I may not otherwise be able to obtain. Of course, this would be a bad practice these days when the job market is so unsecure.

I also feel it was a commin practice to loan people more than they should have received even before the mortgage melt down. I bought my house around 1995 and anxiously awaited if my loan was approved. Much to my surprise they came back with a figure much higher than I would have ever thought. I knew though what I could afford to pay out of my budget a month and bought within my means. I gave them all my info, I wondered what did they see I didn't, do I have more money than I thought. But what good is a larger fancier house if I couldn't afford some expendable income for other things the family might want or need. Like CD, DVD's and more stereo gear