USA HISTORY

Detailed explanation-1: -As consumers bought more on the installment plan, the debt forced some to reduce their other purchases. As sales slowed, manufacturers cut production and laid off employees. Jobless workers had to cut back purchases even more, causing business activity to spiral downward.

Detailed explanation-2: -Consumption in the 1920s The expansion of credit in the 1920s allowed for the sale of more consumer goods and put automobiles within reach of average Americans. Now individuals who could not afford to purchase a car at full price could pay for that car over time–with interest, of course!

Detailed explanation-3: -Installment credit soared during the 1920s. Banks offered the country’s first home mortgages. Manufacturers of everything–from cars to irons–allowed consumers to pay “on time.” About 60 percent of all furniture and 75 percent of all radios were purchased on installment plans.

Detailed explanation-4: -But the most important consumer product of the 1920s was the automobile. Low prices (the Ford Model T cost just $260 in 1924) and generous credit made cars affordable luxuries at the beginning of the decade; by the end, they were practically necessities. By 1929 there was one car on the road for every five Americans.