ECONOMY

Consumers Continue Borrowing Binge: Borrowing shot up again in November as Americans financed a holiday buying binge at stores and auto showrooms. Borrowing rose at a 10.6% annual rate and followed a 12% rate increase in October, the biggest in six years, the Federal Reserve Board said. The latest rise, the sixth in a row, brought outstanding debt to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of $783.1 billion. The pickup reinforces other evidence that economic growth surged at the end of the year as low interest rates encouraged consumers to finance cars and home-related goods such as furniture and appliances. Analysts are warning that growth may drop somewhat in the current quarter as consumers take a breather to pay bills.