Young Adults Singing "Credit Card Blues".

• Position: Brief Article

Slightly over 35% of all U.S. adults report that they are close to the credit limits on their personal credit cards, according to a national survey by Decision Analyst, Inc., a national marketing research company based in Arlington, Tex. "It's somewhat surprising to see so many consumers overextended on their credit cards during the peak of a strong economy," says Jerry W. Thomas, president/CEO of the company. "It's disconcerting to contemplate how bad the credit card debt problem would become if the economy should enter a recession."

Women are a little more likely than men (37.3% vs. 33%) to say that they are close to the...