In the flurry before the effective date of BAPCPA, the bankruptcy “deform” act, I encountered two articles on the role of credit cards in the economy of American familes. Borrowing to Make Ends Meet looks at the growth of credit card debt during the 90′s and concludes that the increase in housing and health care costs at a time when incomes were stagnant is a large part of the problem.

The findings of that study are expanded with policy proposals in The Plastic Safety Net: The Reality Behind Debt in America.

Hear, hear!

Cathy Moran