The amount of credit card debt juggled by a majority of American households has exploded in the past decade, due to aggressive marketing and credit line extensions by credit card companies, as well as a host of abusive and deceptive practices. Creditors will increase a cardholder’s interest rate when a single payment is late or if the consumer’s credit score has changed, even if every payment was received on time. Card companies also impose a host of fees and punitive charges that exacerbate the problems of consumers who have hit hard times.
Press Release: Consumer Groups Support Senator Levin's Bill that Attacks Widespread Credit Card Abuses, May 15, 2007, PDF (68KB)
Letter in
Support of Minimum Payment Warning Bill, April 17, 2007, PDF (159KB)
Testimony before the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations regarding Credit Card Practices: Fees, Interest Rates, and Grace Periods, March 7, 2007, PDF (150KB)
Press Release: Consumer Groups Call for Congressional Action on Unjustifiable Fees, Outrageous Interest Rates and Questionable Lending Practices, March 7, 2007, PDF (65KB)
Written Testimony of Michael D. Donovan, Partner Donavan Searles, LLC, Philadelphia, also on behalf of NCLC and NACA before the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs, January 25, 2007, PDF (163KB)
Joint Recommendations of Consumer Groups on Unfair Credit Card Practices: Eliminate Reckless and Abusive Lending by Credit Card Companies, January 25, 2007, PDF (12KB)
Letter of Support for Credit
Card Reform Act and the Protection of Young Consumers Act, May 22, 2006, PDF (82KB)
Sample Letter to Federal Reserve Board on Credit Card Practices, March 2005
Comments of the National Consumer Law Center and Others PDF (766KB) and Appendices to Comments PDF (1.03MB)
and NCLC