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Which Banks are Complying with the Credit Card Act?

By Kemnitzer, Anderson, Barron, Ogilvie & Brewer

The Credit Card Accountability, Responsibility and Disclosure Act of 2009 ("CARD" Act) goes fully into effect in February 2010. If you want to find out which credit card issuers are complying with CARD at this time, go to www.billshrink.com. You can write in the name of your bank and find out to what extent the bank is in compliance. The major credit card banks are in compliance on some, but not all of the CARD requirements. The site neatly summarizes the ten major protections afforded cardholders. They are protection from arbitrary rate increases through early notification, the right to have interest rates reviewed to see if they should be lowered, payments must be applied to the most expensive balances first, a ban on universal default, a ban on "double-billing," no extra fees for paying by mail, by phone or online, payments received by 5 PM must be credited that day, cardholders must get 21 days from the date the statement is mailed to pay, banks are to provide warnings against paying only the minimum payments, and no marketing to kids without parents' OK.

Full post as published by California Credit Law Blog on February 17, 2010 (boomark / email).