Total outstanding consumer credit grew to $6.1 billion in December, according to Federal Reserve numbers Monday, more than double the $2.3 billion Wall Street economists had predicted. Today Wall Street Pit has a thoughtful post about whether we should take boosted credit card use -- the first expansion in the figure in 28 months -- as a positive sign of an increase in consumer confidence, or a negative one that American's have returned to their old bad habits: The latter would be a concern, specially considering aggregate debt levels in the country have not fallen that much from the peak a few years ago.  It could be a host of unemployed turning to their last source of funds as their 99 weeks of unemployment run out.  Or, since it happened in December, credit cards could just be a way more people funded their gift shopping.  Whatever the case, shorter term it is a boost to an economy that is 70% dependent on consumption - longer term, we'll have to see a few quarters from now if default rates begin to jump again.