Following credit card reform and other debt news.

credit card debt

A Culture of Silence - The Credit Card Debt Taboo

Jul 15th, 2008 | By Rob | Category: credit card debt

A poll by CreditCards.com released recently found that Americans are more likely to talk about sex with someone that they have just met then they are too talk about credit card debt. Of the 1,000 individuals polled, 80% declared they were somewhat or highly unlikely to discuss credit card debt with someone that they [...]



Will the Global Banking Crisis Spread to Credit Card Companies?

Jul 13th, 2008 | By Rob | Category: credit card debt

It was a chaotic time on the stock market last week with rumors that Lehman Brothers would be the next investment bank to succumb to the credit crisis a la Bear Stearns, the closing of IndyMac, and the collapse of the stocks of mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddy Mac after the announcement that they [...]



Credit Card Debt Rises in May

Jul 11th, 2008 | By Rob | Category: credit card debt

Credit card debt (or so called revolving credit) grew by an annual rate of 7.14 percent in May, while consumer debt grew by an annual rate of 3.64% in May, said the Federal Reserve - according to Forbes.



Interest Rates on Citibank Credit Cards No Longer Safe

Jul 4th, 2008 | By Rob | Category: Citibank, credit card debt, interest rate

In its effort to save itself from the credit crisis, Citibank is risking alienating the majority of its customers and federal legislators and regulators as well.  Citibank started with a controversial new student loan policy announced after the Federal Reserve proposed regulations that would prohibit the announced practices.
Now, Citibank feels comfortable reconsidering promises made to [...]



Marketing Credit Cards to College Students

Jul 2nd, 2008 | By Rob | Category: College Students, Congress, credit card debt

Congress held hearings last week examining marketing practices of credit card companies to college students in conjunction with its consideration of credit card reform.  Here are a few of the articles from the past week covering the issue:

Taking Charge - Student Credit Card Issuers Under Investigation.

Washington Post - Too Young to Handle Credit?

Center for American [...]



Stories from the Frontline

Jul 1st, 2008 | By Rob | Category: credit card debt, interest rate, litigation

A New York consumer is facing a lawsuit from Citibank to recover an interest rate of 56 percent on cash advances, according to WCBS.

A Las Vegas consumer owes ~ $1,200 on a credit card that she never used, according to the Herald-Leader.



High Income Households Join Credit Party Too

Jun 30th, 2008 | By Rob | Category: credit card debt

“We had a credit party …”
A report from CNBC indicates that 15 million Americans are either receiving phone calls from creditors are are considering filing for bankruptcy.  And, according to the article, it’s not only the low income that are at the credit party.  Even high income households can get in trouble with credit card [...]



From the Campaign Trail

Jun 30th, 2008 | By Rob | Category: credit card debt

The Washington Post interviewed Obama on consumer debt and the housing crisis.

A Taking Charge article revealed that while the McCains pay zero percent interest on the American Express credit cards with the majority of their $200,000+ credit card debt, they pay a 25.99 percent interest rate on their Chase credit card - ten percentage points [...]



Fed Decision Keeps Interest Rates Steady - Or Will It?

Jun 29th, 2008 | By Rob | Category: credit card debt, interest rate

Even though the decision of the Federal Reserve not to increase interest rates last week should mean that consumers are safe from credit card interest rate increases (read more at Taking Charge), Pioneer Press reports that “[n]ervous banks are raising interest rates for almost any reason.”



Credit Card Websites

Jun 24th, 2008 | By Rob | Category: credit card debt

Here’s the link to an ABC News article that has links to organizations and resources that can help you manage your credit card debt or report possible credit card fraud.  It has links to a variety of types of organizations - from consumer groups to regulators to credit counseling firms to Congressional leaders working on [...]