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LJWorld.com weblogs Common cents

Posted by Mike Belt September 9, 2008 at 10:27 a.m.

Predatory credit card practices targeted

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At the end of July the U.S. House of Representatives Financial Services Committee passed a bill that would curb predatory credit card lending practices. It now awaits a vote on the House floor.The bill, H.R. 5244, is called the Credit Cardholders' Bill of Rights and was introduced in February by U.S. Rep. Carolyn Maloney, D-N.Y. This is the first time a congressional committee has ever passed consumer protections for credit card holders.The bill would require credit card companies to stop applying interest rate hikes retroactively to balances incurred under the old rate.It also targets the practice of assessing hidden and unjustified interest charges on balances already paid off. It would also end stop companies from requiring consumers to pay off balances with lower interest rates before those with higher rates.Finally, the bill would end the assessment of late fees for on-time payments. Consumers who send in checks seven days before the due date are presumed to have paid on time and cannot be charged a late fee.Do you have any credit card horror stories? If so, tell me what they are. [Send me an e-mail.][1] [1]: http://www2.ljworld.com/staff/mike_belt/contact/

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