21.   But consumer debt is only half the story.

22.   But acquiring consumer debt during college can lead to trouble, because eventually everybody has to pay.

23.   But he insisted that voluntary action by credit card issuers offered the best hope for reducing consumer debt and personal bankruptcies.

24.   But statistics on consumer debt and the trade deficit are not meaningful in isolation, the magazine says.

25.   But their optimism may be blunted by factors like high consumer debt and shoppers who simply snub merchandise that is not on sale.

26.   By far, the best thing you can do with your refund is to pay off consumer debts, particularly credit cards.

27.   Calder said he had set out to trace the troublesome history of consumer debt but had ended up finding much more concern about debt than harm caused by it.

28.   Consumer debt is again reaching historic levels, and demand for loans is slack.

29.   Consumer debt is approaching an all-time high, with a growing number of card holders falling behind on payments.

30.   Consumer debt is at a record high, eating into household income, and borrowing to finance purchases has tapered off.