What the new credit card law means for you

by Connie Prater – FoxBusiness.com

Credit card users can expect the most dramatic changes in credit terms, interest rates and fees in decades now that most major provisions of a new federal credit card law have gone into effect.

The new normal for credit cards is more transparency and easier-to-understand terms, but at a higher upfront cost. Credit card issuers and credit industry analysts say the credit card reform law makes credit cards more costly for all users and unaccessible for low-income families and people with bad credit. The law likely means the return of routine annual fees, fewer rewards cards and the possibility that credit card bills will be payable immediately rather than after a month-long grace period.

The new normal for Credit Cards

President Obama signed the Credit CARD Act of 2009 into law May 22, 2009, following passage days earlier in the Senate and the House.

What does the credit card law mean for cardholders? Millions of credit card users will avoid retroactive interest rate increases on existing card balances and have more time to pay their monthly bills, greater advance notice of changes in credit card terms and the right to opt out of significant changes in terms on their accounts. That will take the surprise out of “gotcha” fine print and give consumers time to shop around for better deals if they don’t like the new terms. The requirements are being phased in. The first batch took effect Aug. 20, 2009, and the majority of provisions started on Feb. 22, 2010, while some begin on August 22, 2010.

The Fed just announced final rules for the third phase of the Credit CARD Act — which takes effect on August 22, 2010. Those rules say, among other things, that late payment fees will be capped at $25 in most cases. Also, if consumers exceed their spending limits, they can’t be charged more than the excess amount.

The law has fundamentally changed the way credit card issuers market, bill and advertise credit cards.

Here are the highlights of the credit card law:

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