With the economic good times and peace of the 1920s, americans found themselves focusing on new consumer opportunities available to them. from automobiles to radios, the buying options grew greatly for americans. many americans began borrowing money (opening lines of credit) to buy what they wanted and needed. how could consumer credit be a good thing? what down sides can consumer credit have?

Consumer credits are loans institutions like banks and shops make so people can purchase goods.

Consumer credit offers advantages when used responsible, for example:

Consumer credit also comes with big disadvantages if not used wisely:

The good aspects of consumer credit:

It would allow people to buy now what they might not have the money for immediately.

If the borrowing is used to invest in generating income or building marketable skills (education) it could more than pay back what is owed.

Down sides:

The money must be paid back with interest.

Borrowing may encourage people to buy more than they really can afford.

in 476 c.e. romulus, the last of the roman emperors in the west, was overthrown by the germanic leader odoacer, who became the first barbarian to rule in rome. the order that the roman empire had brought to western europe for 1000 years was no more.

c. bounced back and forth from worthless to worth a lot and back to worthless