Looking at the financials, credit card plays Capital One Financial ( COF ) and American Express ( AXP ) paced the sector higher. When you factor real inflation (not the reported mumbo-jumbo government numbers with all the exclusions) into the picture, the squeeze to the middle class is even more evident. Start-ups staffed by as few as a dozen or two motivated employees can use today's technologies and tools to revolutionize industries and put many others out of work.