Market Pulse | Credit crunch trims junk mail

Finally, a benefit to the credit crunch: We're getting fewer junk-mail solicitations from credit-card companies.

U.S. households got 372.4 million credit-card offers in the mail during the first three months of 2009, according to LowCards.com. While that's more than the nation's total population, it's still a 67 percent drop from the first quarter of 2008. The drop-off comes as the credit-card industry tries to roll back the risk on its books.

Gassing up

In the world of oil and gas prices, one doesn't always follow the other.

Crude has been surging this year, up nearly 60 percent through Wednesday. Prices for natural gas, meanwhile, have dropped by about a third over the same span.

Supply and demand isn't to blame, as supplies for both energy sources are bloated. Crude-oil inventories are up 59 percent from a year ago, while gas is up 30 percent.

That has some analysts predicting natural gas to do better than oil over the next few years.

Can you spare some counsel?

Demand for something is surging during the recession: Credit counseling.

Last year, 3.2 million consumers sought out counselors to help with their budgets, debt, housing or bankruptcies. That's more than double the 1.5 million figure for 2006, according to the National Foundation for Credit Counseling.

The average person seeking counseling came with six credit cards, owing about 62 percent of their total household income on them.