Trading America's Debt Binge

In a week-long series, "Fast Money" is examining how consumer credit cutbacks are affecting different sectors of the US economy. On Monday's program, the traders looked at how consumer deleveraging is impacting banks.

Americans are tightening their belts more now than ever before, reports CNBC's Melissa Lee. But Americans aren't putting much of a dent in their debts, as they've paid down just 0.08 percent of their $12.6 trillion in debt, according to reports. The rest of the decline is due to defaults, whereby more people are willing to walk away rather than pay their oversized mortgages and high interest credit cards.

Lenders have charged off more than $600 billion in mortgages and consumer loans. Banks wrote off more than 10 percent of credit cards in August, up more than half a percent in July. The rising savings rate made it look like Americans were saving more, but really the banks are getting burned.

A lot of banks have been halting foreclosures and that puts the economy at risk, said Brian Kelly of Kanundrum Capital. The banks will just horde more cash and that creates more uncertainty, he said. If you want to play banks, he would stay away from the money center banks and if you think the market is going higher, he recommends a broker like Goldman Sachs.

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Trader disclosure: On Oct.11, 2010, the following stocks and commodities mentioned or intended to be mentioned on CNBC’s Fast Money were owned by the Fast Money traders; Adami owns (AGU), (BTU), (NUE), (C), (GS), (INTC), (MSFT); Adami’s wife works at Merck; Seymour owns (AAPL), (GE), (GOOG), (INTC), (MON), (MSFT), (MOS), (POT); Pete Najarian owns (DD); Pete Najarian owns (GE); Pete Najarian owns (POT); Pete Najarian owns (BEXP) calls; Pete Najarian owns (BP) calls; Pete Najarian owns (BME) calls; Pete Najarian owns (ERTS) calls; Pete Najarian owns (GDXJ); Pete Najarian owns (BRCD); Pete Najarian owns (CNI); Grasso owns (ASTM), (BA), (BAC), (C), (CSCO), (JPM), (LPX), (MO), (MOT), (NDAQ), (PFE), (PRST)

For Brian Kelly
Accounts managed by Kanundrum Capital own (ANDE)
Accounts managed by Kanundrum Capital own (GPRE)
Accounts managed by Kanundrum Capital own (JJG)
Accounts managed by Kanundrum Capital own (SGG)
Accounts managed by Kanundrum Capital own (GLD)
Accounts managed by Kanundrum Capital own (GDXJ)
Accounts managed by Kanundrum Capital own (SLV)
Accounts managed by Kanundrum Capital own (AGM)
Accounts managed by Kanundrum Capital own (MSFT)
Accounts managed by Kanundrum Capital own (FRO)
Accounts managed by Kanundrum Capital own (GLGC)
Accounts managed by Kanundrum Capital own (GS)
Accounts managed by Kanundrum Capital own (JEF)
Accounts managed by Kanundrum Capital own (TIP)
Accounts managed by Kanundrum Capital own (UUP)
Accounts managed by Kanundrum Capital are short (HYG)
Accounts managed by Kanundrum Capital are short (SLF)
Accounts managed by Kanundrum Capital are short U.K. Pound
Accounts managed by Kanundrum Capital are short Mexican Peso

For Steve Grasso:
Stuart Frankel & Co and it’s partners own (AMGN)
Stuart Frankel & Co and it’s partners own (COG)
Stuart Frankel & Co and it’s partners own (CUBA)
Stuart Frankel & Co and it’s partners own (GERN)
Stuart Frankel & Co and it’s partners own (HPQ)
Stuart Frankel & Co and it’s partners own (HSPO)
Stuart Frankel & Co and it’s partners own (MERC)
Stuart Frankel & Co and it’s partners own (NWS.A)
Stuart Frankel & Co and it’s partners own (NYX)
Stuart Frankel & Co and it’s partners own (PDE)
Stuart Frankel & Co and it’s partners own (PFE)
Stuart Frankel & Co and it’s partners own (PRST)
Stuart Frankel & Co and it’s partners own (RDC)
Stuart Frankel & Co and it’s partners own (TLM)
Stuart Frankel & Co and it’s partners own (XRX)
Stuart Frankel & Co and it’s partners own (SDS)
Stuart Frankel & Co and it’s partners are short (QQQQ)

For Stephen Volkmann
***No Disclosures***

For Barry Ritholtz
***No Disclosures***

For Kevin Cassidy
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