FRONTLINE and The New York Times examine how the credit card industry became so pervasive, so lucrative, and so politically powerful.

The average American family today carries 10 credit cards. Credit card debt and personal bankruptcies are now at an all-time high. With no legal limit on the amount of interest or fees that can be charged, credit cards have become the most profitable sector of the American banking industry: more than $30 billion in profits in one year alone. FRONTLINE and The New York Times examine how the credit card industry became so pervasive, so lucrative and so politically powerful.