WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. consumer borrowing rose by $18.6 billion in April, fueled by a big rise in auto and student loans that offset a drop in credit card use. The April gain reported Monday by the Federal Reserve was the third straight month of strong increases in consumer borrowing. It followed a similar $18.6 billion increase in March. The latest increase reflected a $20.6 billion increase in the category that covers auto and student loans, the biggest advance in these loans since a $22.7 billion rise in June 2020. The category that covers credit cards saw a decline of $2 billion, the first setback in credit card use since a sharp drop of $13.5 billion in January.
