Summary Box: Consumer borrowing increases in January, breaking string of 11 straight declines

Summary Box: Consumer borrowing up in January

BORROWING UP: Consumer credit rose by $4.96 billion in January, breaking a record string of 11 consecutive declines.

AUTO LOANS: The increase reflected a jump in auto loans which offset continued weakness in the category that includes credit cards.

FURTHER GAINS: Economists expect borrowing will stabilize and begin rising in coming months as the improving economy gives consumers more confidence.