Las Vegas flunks debt report card

Men's Health put together a list of cities in its November issue with the worst personal debt, "Is Your City A Debt Trap?" and gave grades from A+ to F.

Las Vegas came in 100th of 100 cities analyzed, so got an F. Billings, Mont., was at the head of the class, earning an A+.

The magazine crunched numbers using U.S. Census info and personal bankruptcy rates it got from the FDIC, and data from Experian on average credit scores, credit card debt and credit used versus available credit.

The debt "eggheads" live in places such as Lincoln, Neb., or Fargo, N.D., but Honolulu got an A, too, so that blows my theory that resort cities suck the money sense out of people. Besides, most people in Las Vegas live in normal suburban homes with good school districts, and Honolulu isn't a bargain for tourists or residents.

Men's Health says Las Vegas scored near the bottom in most categories. "We aren't prepared to wager exactly why, but perhaps it's because the city has recently gone from building boom to bust while simultaneously rolling snake eyes in the employment game."

Maybe the F students could sit next to the National Merit scholar types in the honor roll cities?