Contents contributed and discussions participated by Ed Kerollis
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Highlights of Proposed Rules Regarding Credit Cards and Overdraft Services Regulation AA (Unfair Acts or Practices) The proposal would amend Regulation AA to prohibit unfair or deceptive acts or practices by banks in connection with credit card accounts and overdraft services for deposit accounts. Credit Cards * Time to Make Payments. The proposal would prohibit banks from treating a payment as late unless the consumer has been provided a reasonable amount of time to make that payment. There would be a safe harbor for banks that send periodic statements at least 21 days prior to the payment due date. * Allocation of Payments. When different annual percentage rates (APRs) apply to different balances on a credit card account (for example, purchases and cash advances), banks would have to allocate payments exceeding the minimum payment using one of three methods or a method equally beneficial to consumers. They could not allocate the entire amount to the balance with the lowest rate. A bank could, for example, split the amount equally between two balances. In addition, to enable consumers to receive the full benefit of discounted promotional rates (for example, on balance transfers), during the promotional period payments in excess of the minimum would have to be allocated first to balances on which the rate is not discounted. * Applying Rate Increases to Existing Balances. The proposal would prohibit banks from increasing the interest rate on outstanding balances unless the increase is due to: (i) the operation of an index (in other words, the rate is a variable rate); (ii) the expiration or loss of a promotional rate (provided the rate is not increased to a penalty rate); or (iii) the minimum payment not being received within 30 days of the due date. * Two-Cycle Billing. The proposal would prohibit banks from imposing finance charges based on balances on days in billing cycles preceding the most recent billing cycle, a pra