Debit card use climbs, but will consumers need to recharge?

In another sign that the recession is pushing Americans to change their spending habits, Visa (V) and MasterCard (MA) both say debit card transactions on their networks are surging while credit card purchases fall.

That's probably a good sign for an over-leveraged populace, but it's most likely temporary. "Consumers are much more worried about future sources of income and they're charging less and saving more," says Tony Plath, a professor of finance at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. "That won't last."