Reuters: Americans charge it as Bank of Subprime closes

"If they had been financing their consumption on the basis of the equity of their homes and suddenly that is cut off then they will have to borrow more through traditional channels," said Stephen Lewis, economist at Insinger de Beaufort in London.

And August was a very bad month for the substantial minority of Americans who have depended upon housing borrowing to finance ongoing consumption. Not only were house prices continuing their slow, steady march lower, but the world had woken up to the seriousness of the issue and the asset backed financing markets more or less shut.