The CARD Act goes into effect today, February 22, 2010. This Act was established to protect credit card consumers and is monumental because it will change the way credit card companies do business. It entails the most significant changes ever to be made in credit card history.

What will the Act entail?

1.  There will be new limits on rate increases.
2. It will prohibit credit card companies from ’surprising’ consumers.
3. Credit card lenders will have to do a better job informing the consumer regarding interest rate increases and fee increases.
4. It will make it much more difficult for consumers under the age of 21 to qualify for a credit card.
5. Interest rates will not be allowed to undergo an increase until after the account has been open for at least 12 months.
6. Credit card companies will not be allowed to charge “over limit” fees unless the consumer specifically allows over limit charges.
7. Monthly credit card statements will have to undergo a face-lift. Each statement must contain detailed information, including a detailed pay-off plan. This plan will show you how long it will take to pay off the balance on your credit card by only making minimum payments.
8. If the interest rate is increased after one year, the new interest rate will only affect new charges. It will not affect the previous balance at all.

Congress is hopeful that the Act will place more power in the hands of consumers. Of course, credit card companies will still have access to a wealth of power. Lenders will seek other avenues for the amount of lost revenue provoked by the Act.

However, the Act is not a “saving grace” for credit card holders. Some credit card holders believe that all of their credit card problems will be solved by the bill. Many people need to realize that if you have gotten out of the habit of reading everything from your credit card company, the Act isn’t going to do much for you. You will be required to change your old habits and start reading every correspondence between you and your lender.

The CARD Act of 2009 is here to help the millions of credit card holders around the country. But, it isn’t here to save you from all of your credit card woes. Learn as much as you can and be sure to read everything that your credit card company sends you.

New credit card reform or the CARD Act of 2009, goes into effect on February 22, 2010. This legislation signed by President Obama, will serve to protect credit card consumers more than ever before and is the largest piece of legislation ever to be passed related specifically to credit cards.

But, how will it affect you if you are a college student?

In the past, credit card companies have aggressively marketed to college students, spending a great deal of marketing time and money towards students. Credit card companies target college students and convince them to get a credit card now…before they graduate. These companies often “sweetened” the deal with freebies and introductory 0% offers.

In the United States, the age of eighteen seems to be the magic number for young adults. It is the age at which teenagers officially become ‘adults.’ However, the CARD Act will add one more thing to the list of “can’t do’s” for young adults until they reach the age of 21. The new CARD Act will prohibit consumers under the age of 21 from obtaining a credit card.

Of course, there are a few exceptions. These exceptions are:

• If the consumer has a steady flow of income, they may be eligible to get a credit card.
• If the consumer has a responsible co-signer, they may be eligible to get a credit card.

Why?

Barbara Mikulski, a Senator from Maryland, says that the Act is in college students’ best interest. It is supposed to prohibit the old practices of credit card companies…to “weigh” students down with credit card debt before they even graduate.

The CARD Act will help protect college students from what is an ever-increasing amount of credit card debt. Rather than graduating with credit card debt, more college students will graduate with little or no credit history.

Here’s how you can work with the CARD Act to make sure that you can graduate with a credit history.

1. Get a job. It is possible to complete your college studies and have a job at the same time. Millions of students have done it and so can you; proving that you have adequate income to cover your credit card account.

2. Find a co-signer. Find a parent, guardian or spouse that is willing to co-sign with you. This gives you the opportunity to build your credit before you graduate.

It is extremely important for students to graduate with an established credit history. Having an established credit history or not can affect your ability to get a job, buy a home or car and even the rates you pay for insurance. The CARD Act has been established to help all consumers, so let it help you establish credit; even while finishing college.

After almost a year since our site last offered Chase credit cards, we are pleased to announce their much anticipated return. We had hoped to begin offering Chase credit cards earlier this year, but financial market conditions did not allow for a timely return of their credit cards to our site. The news that we would once again be able feature cards from Chase this week was somewhat of a surprise. As a result of their return, we are able to expand our current credit card offerings and visitors will once again have access to one of the best cash back credit cards available.

At this time we are able to feature the Chase Freedom card along with introduction of the Chase Slate credit card. Both cards share the Visa logo and feature Chase’s new program to help cardholders better manage their spending and finances with Blueprint. Blueprint provides cardholders the flexibility to choose how payments are applied, choose different payment options, track spending habits and more; all for free.

Each Chase credit card offers something different and one may be just right for you. Be sure to check them out.

Chase has recently unveiled a new financial service that is free to use and only available to Chase customers. Blueprint is easy to set up and lets each customer specify their own set of financial blueprints.

The Blueprint program has been designed to simplify your finances. It allows you to design custom payment plans and other options. Each payment option will be highlighted on monthly statements. This allows you to really organize your finances and your credit card purchases.

You don’t have to wait until you receive the monthly statement each month to see what progress you’ve made towards reaching your goal. The Blueprint program allows you to monitor your progress online. You can check your progress fifteen times a day or once a day.

Everyone uses their credit card for different reasons. Some people use it for everyday purchases. Some people use it only in emergencies. Others use it for large purchases. The Chase Blueprint program allows you to pay off large purchases first, thus reducing the amount you pay in interest.

There are so many advantages for using the new Chase Blueprint program. First, the Blueprint program itemizes all of your purchases. This allows you to know your spending trends and habits. This is updated constantly so you can always be sure you are given accurate information. It also allows you to see clearly the areas that you want to improve.

Chase Blueprint really helps you pay your balance down faster. It lets you make payments towards large purchases and reduces the total amount you pay in interest. Similarly, Blueprint lets you completely avoid paying interest. It comes with free online calculators that allow you to know what payments you need to make in order to pay $0 in interest.

Chase Blueprint is the first of its kind. Since when does a credit card company or financial institution go to so much trouble to help you avoid paying interest? Chase credit cards are available to help with the new Blueprint program.

Last week, J.D. Power and Associates released their 2009 Credit Card Satisfaction Study with results of what customers really think about credit card issuers. The results weren’t surprising as most customers this past year have seen rate increases, fee increases, credit lines slashed or accounts closed completely. As a result of the economy, credit card issuers have been forced to cover rising defaults and losses. Customers haven’t responded well to the recent changes and credit card issuers have seen their customer satisfaction ratings plummet.

In fact, the J.D. Power and Associates survey found that the customer satisfaction level has reached a three-year low. Michael Beird, J.D. Power and Associate’s director of banking, said, “Overall satisfaction declines 86 index points when a customer incurs a late fee. Issues with fees also contribute to the high incidence of problems and complaints in 2009, with 18 percent of customers reporting problems, compared with 10 percent in 2008.”

In 2008, only 10 percent of customers reported that their fees and rates were increased. That number has almost doubled in one short year. That’s right…20 percent of credit card customers now say that they have seen an increase in credit card fees and rates. But, does the type of customer affect satisfaction?

Absolutely.

The survey found that those who are among the unhappiest are those credit card holders who do not pay off their credit cards in full each month. Credit card customers who carry a balance from month to month gave credit card companies the lowest ratings. American Express ranked highest in customer satisfaction for the third straight year with an index score of 761. Discover Card and National City came in second and third with index scores of 751 and 740, respectively.

So, what have these companies all done well? Customers reported being satisfied with credit card companies when they received consistent communication from the creditor. Even when a fee or rate increase did occur, customers reported being satisfied 97 percent of the time when they received notification of the increase beforehand.

Although customers are not overly satisfied with credit card companies currently, there is one thing credit card issuers can do to keep customers happy. Communicate. Credit card companies need to keep their customers informed and customers need to do their part by staying informed. Customers can actively participate in the communication process by researching different credit cards and educating themselves before applying.

Surely, the level of overall credit card satisfaction will increase when well-informed customers team up with credit card companies who communicate.

Have you had a good or bad experience with your credit card issuer this past year? Give us your feedback.