Regulations aimed at making credit card policies clearer may reveal higher fees, rates
• By Eileen Aj Connelly, AP Personal Finance Writer,  New York
The rules your credit card company operates by will start getting much clearer on Thursday. But just because you’ll know what they’re up to doesn’t mean you’re going to like what you [...]

by Prashant Gopal
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
After years of getting Americans hooked on credit, card companies are slashing limits and weaning themselves off all but the safest customers
Terry Mazzera has worked to keep her credit score above 730, paying bills on time, sending in more than the minimum credit-card payment each month, and keeping a [...]

The banks were bailed out last fall, the automobile companies last winter. For Edward McClelland, a writer in Chicago, deliverance finally arrived a few days ago.

Mr. McClelland’scredit card company was calling yet again, wondering when it could expect the next installment on his delinquent account. He proposed paying half of his $5,486 balance and calling the matter even. It’s a deal, the account representative immediately said, not even bothering to check with a supervisor. As they confront unprecedented numbers of troubled customers, credit card companies are increasingly doing something they have historically scorned: settling delinquent accounts for substantially less than the amount owed.

Yahoo Finance article by Leslie McFadden

Some credit cardholders had a rough ride in 2008. As banks grappled with rising charge-offs and default rates, many reined in risk by restricting access to credit and adjusting existing accounts.

In fact, about 60 percent of domestic banks say they tightened lending standards on credit cards during the previous three months, according to the October senior loan officer survey from the Federal Reserve.

Unfortunately, the credit forecast is mixed. For 2009, experts predict mostly cloudy skies with a chance of silver lining.

DEAL OF THE DAY by Kelli B. Grant  Article from SmartMoney.com
IT’S THE GREAT Catch-22 of the lending world: To get new credit, you need a solid credit history. However, you can’t build a credit history if you can’t gain access to credit.
Now, as banks and credit-card issuers tighten their lending requirements, building that all-important credit [...]

Consumer Action by Aleksandra Todorova
smartmoney.com  published February 6, 2009 
A dismal economy, tight lending standards and mounting job losses have created the perfect storm for cash-strapped consumers and the perfect opportunity for scammers.
Despite warnings from state attorney generals and organizations like the Better Business Bureau and the Federal Trade Commission, a growing number of [...]