Merck Doubles Profit; Arch Coal Heats Up First Quarter; Northwest Bankcorp Bolstered by Visa IPO; Profit Dives for Bank of America; National City Posts Loss, Slashes Dividend; Mattel Profit Drops; Strong Hasbro Results; Lowered Expectations for MF Global.

Today’s Australian has a headline that reads, “Credit card debt slows to 13-year low.” That would lead you to believe that something good has happened in the economy. But has it?