The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC), a governmental regulatory organization feeling the pressure with the White House proposing replacing many of their duties with a new consumer-oriented regulatory body, has sent out a warning to the CEOs of all national banks. The Credit CARD Act of 2009 requires credit card issuers who raise a customer’s interest rate to abide by a number of regulations.
These regulations, such as the requirement to reassess the rates for anyone whose rate increased since January 1, 2009 and for the bank to provide a specific reason for any rate increase, don’t take effect until August 10, 2010. The OCC’s warning is designed to remind credit card issuers that although the rules don’t change until a year from now, they will be in effect for any customer who has been effected since January 1, 2009 — before the Act became a law. The banks will need to maintain these records so they will be available when the regulators come calling next year.
Read the OCC’s letter to CEOs of national banks.
Unfortunately, I am unaware whether my credit cards have increased their interest rates. It has been a long time since I’ve used a credit card to pay for something I could not pay back by the date the credit card payment was due. But I consider myself lucky and thankful to be in that position.
Has your interest rate increased this year?
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OCC Requiring Credit Cards to Report all Interest Rate Increases in 2009
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