America seems to be going through a positive shift - with the lowest level of subprime credit scores in more than a decade, a decrease in debt burden and the lowest level of defaults since 2004. US consumers seems to be more aware and concerned about their financial wellness. So although there has been a rise in the amount of loans taken, hopefully consumers will be smarter than in the past about paying off loans in a timely manner and refraining from accumulating debt they cannot cover.