BRIEFLY PUT

                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: SATURDAY, January 11, 1992                   TAG: 9201130255
SECTION: EDITORIAL                    PAGE: A-11   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: 
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Short
BRIEFLY PUT
Nathan N. Jones of Seattle is one of many who receive invitations in the mail to go into debt. Recently, he got from a Texas financial institution a pre-approved gold card with a $10,000 line of credit, and a sweepstakes-check offering him $200 - good toward the purchase of a Singer sewing machine, a matching his-and-hers diamond wristwatch set, or a five-piece luggage set. All he has to do is plunk out a $29.95 annual fee by Jan. 15.
Nathan, 8, is an alley cat. His owner figures Nathan's name made a list of potential credit-card customers as the result of a mail order for gourmet catfood samples. With such sweet deals being offered to unemployed felines, any wonder the banks and S&Ls are having trouble?

by Archana Subramaniam by CNB