Credit card issuers aren’t racing to comply with Fed rules

If card issuers didn’t understand the difference between fair play and foul, the Fed made it pretty clear last year.

The Fed and other banking regulators banned several common industry practices but gave issuers until mid-2010 before they had to comply.

Credit card lenders aren’t exactly rushing to beat the deadline.

BillShrink.com has been tracking which issuers have voluntarily complied with the eight biggest changes. So far, exactly none have complied with two biggies:

• banning arbitrary rate increases (so-called “any time, any reason repricing”) and
• fairly allocating payments, instead of putting 100% of your payment toward the lowest-rate portion of your balance first, extending the time you pay the higher-rate portion.

Other Fed provisions are getting somewhat better compliance. Here’s BillShrink’s synopsis:

No more universal default. Universal default allows card issuers to raise interest rates on customers based on the customer’s behavior on another unrelated account. For example, if you’ve missed a payment on your utility bill or have your credit score lowered, a card issuer may increase the interest rates on your account. This policy and practice would no longer be permitted.
Issuers that meet this requirement: American Express (14 cards),  Capital One (14 cards),  Citi (14 cards),  Discover (5 cards),  Wells Fargo (5 cards)

Sufficient time to pay bill. Credit card holders will be provided with reasonable time to pay their bills. Card companies would be required to mail billing statements 25 calendar days before due dates (sometimes referred to as the “grace period”), eliminating the current minimum notification of 14 calendar days.
Issuers that meet this requirement:  Capital One (14 cards),  Discover (5 cards),  First Premier Bank (3 cards),  Pulaski Bank (1 cards),  Wells Fargo (5 cards)

Proper and timely notification of rate increases. Credit card companies are now required to provide cardholders with a minimum 45-day notice of any pending interest rate increase, thereby allowing consumers sufficient time to consider their options. Issuers that meet this requirement: Citi (14 cards),  Discover (5 cards),  Wells Fargo (5 cards), Bank of America (41 cards), HSBC (3 cards)

Right to set limits on credit. Credit card companies will have to provide consumers the option to have a fixed credit limit that cannot be exceeded. This would help the consumer to avoid over-the-limit fees being applied to their account. Issuers that meet this requirement: American Express (14 cards),  Capital One (14 cards),  Citi (14 cards), Discover (5 cards), First National Bank of Omaha (8 cards), U.S. Bank (13 cards)

No more double-cycle billing. Double-cycle billing allows for credit card companies to compute finance charges base on purchases made in current billing cycle rather than previous billing cycle. This policy hurts consumers who pay off their balances in full in one statement period but not the next. Credit card companies will now be prohibited from using this double-cycle billing practice. Issuers that meet this requirement: Bank of America (41 cards),  Capital One (14 cards), Citi (14 cards),  First National Bank of Omaha (8 cards),  First Premier Bank (3 cards),  Pulaski Bank (1 cards),  U.S. Bank (13 cards),  Wells Fargo (5 cards)
Protection from due date gimmicks. Payments made by a cardholder by 5 P.M. EST on the due date would be considered on time, and therefore would allow the consumer to avoid incurring late payment fees and possible interest rate increases.
Issuers that meet this requirement: Bank of America (41 cards),  Capital One (14 cards),  Citi (14 cards),  Discover (5 cards),  HSBC (3 cards),  Orchard Bank (2 cards),  U.S. Bank (13 cards),  Wells Fargo (5 cards), First National Bank of Omaha (8 cards)

To check out BillShrink.com’s interactive tool and see which cards comply, CLICK HERE.