The Advantages and Disadvantages Of The Credit Card Act

The recent credit card debt legal guidelines have various decent things meant for consumers, although habitually regulations restricting commerce in a free market may have unintended consequences. The new credit card debt law called The Credit Card Accountability Responsibility and Disclosure Act of 2009 was signed by President Obama earlier this year. It took effect on February 22, 2010. When it went into effect it was intended to amend specific questionable business procedures of the credit card companies, but what about the effects on those customers who are conscientious with their credit? The new credit card act has some underlying negatives that will be revealed.

Since the latest credit card debt decree will put a stop to the custom branded as universal default (which is where a creditor could jack up your interest if you default on another credit debt, even if you always paid the existing creditor on time), banks express they will have to make up their cutbacks some other means. The reason issurers are stating they will need to increase the interest on existing balances because of these losses they will suffer. Under the new law issuers are required to give 45 days notice of rate increases and aren't allowed to increase your rate at all in the first 12 months of a new card except under certain defined circumstances such as default on payments or a teaser rate expiration.

The adverse side effect of this for the consumer who does a good job managing their credit is that they might notice their rates going up. Some of you may have already gotten notices of rate increases from your credit card issuers. Many declare that this may result in individuals who were accountable with their credit subsidizing those who are not. Another increase could be in the various fees that are charged. Where currently a credit card issuer charges, for example, used for late charges, they may inflate this to or more. If you are like the average credit card holder who struggles or delays making your payment due date then get ready to be hit with a late fee. It will in addition be more tricky to get approved for a credit card in the future due to the finance institutions needing to make up for the cutbacks created by customers who default plus are written off consequently the criteria for approval will probably be tighter.

As part of the new credit card debt laws Regulation Z, which implements the Truth in Lending Act will be changed requiring issuers to provide certain disclosures upon opening a new account and at least 45 days notice prior to certain changes. The required notifications include differences in APR in addition to billing cycle as well as particular categories of fees. This involves all pertinent fees that credit institutions normally charge including penalty fees, minimum finance charges, and more. Issuers are in addition only required to notify cardholders concerning improvements to their credit limits if the new credit limit would trigger an over the max rate or else a penalty rate. There is concern that seeing as the fees that require notification have been in the details of the legislation, that credit card companies could merely come up with brand new types to get around the disclosure requirements.