The number of complaints for all business increased by 50 percent, with "ordered product sales" the only category to show a decrease.

That was the biggest monthly increase the category has shown since this statistical series was begun in 1947.

In the consumer credit report, some categories of lending showed strength during June.

The sixth major category of nondurables, drug and proprietary stores, showed no change.

And at least one category of consumer has shown no hesitation in opening pocketbooks: the elderly.

But after removing a 15.8 percent jump in military orders, the civilian categories showed no growth at all last month.

It became the first, and only, show to sweep every major category, going 7/7.

But even those categories did not show dramatic gains.

This has been a terrible year to invest in bonds - even the best categories show losses.

Magazine analysts say the category shows no sign of slowing down.