From 1968, when the Federal Reserve started tracking the data, to its peak in September 2008 the amount of revolving, or
credit-
card, debt outstanding for U.S. consumers posted a near-uninterrupted rise.
With the collapse of Lehman Brothers and the onset of a credit crisis came the first steady decline. The amount of revolving credit outstanding is 15% lower than the peak level and has posted a monthly decline in each of the last 20 months.