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

DATE: MONDAY, December 12, 1994                   TAG: 9412280101
SECTION: BUSINESS                    PAGE: A12   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: MAG POFF STAFF WRITER
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Short

WITH A PLAN, YOU CAN AVOID JANUARY FINANCIAL HANGOVER

The average credit-card holder charges about $1,000, or 40 percent of total charges for a year, during the Christmas shopping season, according to Ram Research Corp's CardTrak.

If that holds true this year, card holders will rack up more than $150 billion in charges in these weeks before the holiday. The average consumer is approching the $500 level in Christmas spending.

\ Please see microfilm for complete text.

by CNB