WASHINGTON (AP) -- Banks trimmed borrowing from the Federal Reserve's emergency lending facility over the past week, and cut back on other programs designed to ease the financial crisis, promising signs that some credit problems are easing.

The Fed says commercial banks averaged $34.97 billion in daily borrowing over the week that ended Wednesday. That was down from $35.91 billion in the week ended July 1.

Investment firms didn't draw any loans for the eighth straight week. The last time they drew any money -- just $482 million -- was in the week that ended May 13.

The identities of the financial institutions are not released. They pay just 0.50 percent in interest for the emergency loans.