Consumer borrowing falls in June for fifth straight month as credit card use declines again

Consumers cut back on credit cards again in June

WASHINGTON — Consumer borrowing fell in June for a fifth straight month as households keep cutting back on credit card use.

The Federal Reserve says borrowing dropped at an annual rate of $1.3 billion in June. That marked the 16th drop in overall credit in the past 17 months.

Americans backed away from swiping their credit cards for the 21st straight month. That offset a rise in the number of auto loans.

The reduction in borrowing and efforts to by households to boost their savings have acted as a major drag on the overall economy by lowering consumer spending.