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.

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.

Go Pack - Earn double points on eligible airline tickets and enjoy car rental discounts when you book through American Express Travel. Car rental discounts up to 25% are available from Avis, Budget and Hertz. All points are credited to your Membership Rewards points account and the annual cost is just $25.

Social Pack - Earn double points at qualified resturants and on qualified concert, movie and show tickets. Applicants will also be automatically enrolled to receive emails for advanced ticket access and other benefit information. All points are credited to your Membership Rewards points account and the annual cost is just $25.

Connect Pack - Earn double points on eligible cell phone, cable, broadband and internet services through qualified providers. Applicants who choose this pack will also be eligible to receive 25% discount on the number of Membership Rewards points require for redemption of cell phones and other electronic communication devices. All points are credited to your Membership Rewards points account and the annual cost is just $25.

Eco Pack - Earn double points on eligible purchases at select green merchants rated by Greenopia®. Greenopia selects and rates merchants based on their impact to the environment. Applicants who choose this pack will receive discounts of 25% when redeemed for qualified eco-friendly merchandise and carbon offsets. American Express will also donate $1 to TerraPass to fund reductions in carbon emissions at dairy farms and landfills. All points are credited to your Membership Rewards points account and there is no annual cost.

The Zync from American Express credit card has an annual fee of $25 and features all of the standard cardmembers benefits of an American Express card: Memberships Reward points on every purchase, car rental insurance and road side coverage, and purchase protection. Purchases made through the Bonus Points Mall earn triple points on every purchase with over 250 retailers and all balances must be paid in full each month.

• Blue Cash from American Express - Earn up to 5% cash back
• Blue from American Express - Earn Membership Rewards on every purchase
• Blue Sky from American Express - Earn airline miles or travel rewards on every purchase

Each of the cards also feature a 0% APR for 6 months on purchases and exclusive American Express cardholders benefits.

With the new Sapphire card, Chase is also unveiling it’s new Ultimate Rewards Program. This program lets your rewards be redeemable for almost anything you want.

Some competitor’s reward credit cards charge you an annual fee, but not the Chase Sapphire card. What sense does it make to let you earn cash back and then take it all away by charging an annual fee? Chase understands you, the customer. That’s exactly why they are giving you the Sapphire card.

Once you apply and are approved for the Chase Sapphire with Ultimate Rewards credit card, you can start using it. Once you make your first purchase, Chase will give you 10,000 bonus points. That’s right, 10,000 bonus points just for using your card.

As with some other reward credit cards, you can earn one point for every dollar you spend. If you shop online with Chase’s preferred retailers, at the Ultimate Rewards Mall, you can earn up to 10 bonus points for every dollar. That gives you the opportunity to earn ten times the rewards when you shop with over 300 retailers. With that kind of opportunity, you should almost always earn ten times the rewards.

The Chase Sapphire credit card doesn’t just come with cash rewards though. The Sapphire card allows you to earn double bonus points on airfare. In order to receive double bonus points, you must book your flight(s) through Chase’s Online Travel Booking Tool. So, you can take all of the hassle out of your next trip by booking online and earning double bonus points.

This Sapphire comes with many great Travel Benefits as well. You will have complete access to Trip Cancellation Insurance, Travel and Emergency Services, Travel Accident Insurance and Trip Delay coverage. Additionally, Chase offers Lost Luggage Reimbursement, Baggage Delay, Roadside Dispatch and Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver.

With the Sapphire credit card comes Chase’s unbeatable customer service. You can get personalized customer service 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Chase is confident that you’ll appreciate their customer service. That’s why they put a guarantee on all customer service transactions. You will also be able to use Chase’s complimentary concierge service, Global LifeLine and the Online Account Management feature.

Just wait…it gets so much better with the Chase Sapphire card. Have you heard of Chase’s new Blueprint program? This program allows you to manage your finances your way. Choose from the Full Pay feature, the Split feature, the Finish It feature, the Track It feature or a combination of the four. You can maximize your credit card experience with Blueprint because it allows you to manage your credit card on your time and the way you want.

No other credit card has it all. The Chase Sapphire with Ultimate Rewards card does. Go online to see how Sapphires can become your best friend today.

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.

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.

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.