Credit Card Rates Rise Again

NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) — The nation’s banks raised credit card rates and increased their profit from lending to consumers in the first half of 2009, according to a consumer advocacy group.
The Pew Safe Credit Cards Project said Monday the median lowest advertised credit card rate rose to 11.99% in July from 9.99% in December. At [...]

Organize Your Credit Card Debt For 2009

Getting the mail this time of year isn’t a whole lot of fun as the credit card bills from December start to arrive.  Alexandra Lieberman is trying to cope with the impact of all the shopping she did last month.
“It was everything. It was groceries, going out to dinner, shopping, everything.”

Credit Card Rules Must Change

If you want an idea of how angry consumers are at credit card companies, get a load of the complaints e-mailed to the Federal Reserve about efforts to prohibit unfair practices by credit card companies. “I have been the victim of credit card companies who have subjectively raised my interest rates,” said Jon C. Kubic [...]

Credit Card Rate Report

Annual percentage rates for new credit card offers dipped lower this week, according to the CreditCards.com Weekly Credit Card Rate Report. Banks tweaked some offer rates this week, while minutes from the Federal Reserve’s August meeting suggest its next change to monetary policy will take interest rates higher. Of the nine credit card categories tracked by [...]

Squeezed by credit card issuers

Credit Card companies use all sorts of tactics to wrestle every penny out of customers. Here’s what you need to know.
When 53-year-old Don Cressman was struggling financially, he charged a bit more than usual on his card, but carefully watched his balance to make sure he didn’t go over his limit. When he opened his credit [...]

New credit card rules could affect you

Proposals by federal bank regulators would zap questionable credit card practices. But while consumer advocates say the proposals are good first steps to rein in abusive tactics, card issuers bristle they will drive up costs and make credit less available.
John Ulzheimer, president of consumer education for credit.com, a credit education and financial services Web site, [...]

Banks boost credit card rates

To understand how the collapse of the nation’s real estate market is hitting borrowers of all kinds, consider Carson Moore. Moore, of Elkton, Ky., says he always pays more than the minimum due on his credit cards, and does it on time, every time. But in January, Bank of America told him it was nearly [...]

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