Darned close. A long ways away from the $2,000 claimed by your lady.

"Approximately half of all credit card holders pay only their minimum monthly requirements. There are a total of 1.2 billion credit and retail cards in North America. The average American household is solicited seven times a year by credit card companies.

"The Motley Fool's Credit Center features several more mind-blowing statistics:

"Total consumer credit: $1.7 trillion.
Credit card debt carried by the average American: $8,562.
Total finance charges Americans paid in 2001: $50 billion.
Percent of U.S. households deemed credit worthy by the lending industry: 78%.
Number of credit card holders who declared bankruptcy last year: 1.3 million"

Another source.

"According to the advocacy group Demos, the average balance among lower- and middle-income households is $8,650.

"On average, consumers pay to credit card companies about 16 percent of all outstanding balances each month. This includes those who pay off all cards in full each month, as well as those who carry balances forward. (Source: www.cardweb.com)

"Total credit card debt in the United States has reached about $665 billion on bank credit cards and about $105 billion on store or gas credit cards. According to the Fed's G19 release, the total is roughly $800 billion. (Sources: www.cardweb.com and the Federal Reserve)"

Arf