1.   After all, he said, electronic banking offers consumers the means of changing their relationships almost instantly.

2.   On the flip side, the slow growth in pay means consumers may not have the income to spend heavily.

3.   That has created a boom in subprime lending during the past two years, and means consumers often wind up paying more for everything from mortgages to credit cards.

4.   The lack of inflation means consumers can afford to buy more when their incomes are rising -- though Americans are also turning into more cautious buyers.

5.   The higher yields means consumers and companies are paying more to borrow money for things such as cars, homes and factories.

6.   All this activity means consumers will have plenty of choices.

7.   That means consumers could see ads for the same car on CNN and HBO, in Time magazine and on their AOL screens, AOLTV or pocket devices.