WASHINGTON -- In an effort to take some of the heat of the issueof credit card issuer practices and credit card debt, the AmericanBankers Association has suggested that Americans' credit card debtsare not as large as widely believed.

In a backgrounder to the issue released last week, the ABA citeda Government Accountability Office study which found "median creditcard balance among families carrying a balance was $2,200 in 2004(the most recent year this information is available), meaning that50 percent of families with credit card debt owe more than $2,200,while 50 percent owe less than $2,200"

But the ABA suggestion has run into a buzz saw at Cardtrak.com,a Web site and research firm which tracks cards trends. The sitepointed out the study the ABA used is four years old and that morerecent data it and other sources have collected points to a moreserious situation.

"Based on industry figures, and discounting balances paid-off infull each month and commercial credit card debt, Americans wererevolving about $672 billion on all credit cards at the end of lastyear," Cardtrak said. "Furthermore, the latest revolving creditfigures released by the Federal Reserve show Americans owed $920billion in September, which includes lines of credit attached tochecking accounts."