50% Say Their Bank Increased Credit Card Rates In the Last Six Months

[Joanne98]

Many readers have complained of credit card issuers raising interest rates on their cards, even if the customer has pristine credit and never or rarely carries a balance. Now we are finally seeing some efforts to see how significant this is across all card users.

A Rasmussen survey puts the total at 50% of all respondents. Now one can argue, correctly, that banks were too profligate in handing out credit, and some sort of reversal is in order. Yes, but the nature of the banks’ action here is pretty sus. And consumers agree. 77% say banks take unfair advantage (note the wording, not just advantage, but “unfair advantage”) of customers.

First, if the issue was primarily giving too much credit to the wrong people, the first move is to cut back credit to them. There were reports on that activity, but the moves to jack up rates appear to be far more extensive than those to restrict credit (I am still getting offers for new credit cards and both attractively priced and some not so hot balance transfer offers. One from Citigroup was a 3% balance transfer fee and a 1.99% rate for a full year).

More important, these increases appear to be indiscriminate, across broad swathes of customers, and in anticipation of legislation that will restrict their ability to raise rates.

Now I know some readers will argue that people should not use credit cards for borrowings at all. But things are far from black and white. First, credit cards are a very important source of credit for small businesses (indeed, they are an important type of startup funding). Some important issuers who targeted that market, namely American Express and Advanta, have withdrawn completely. Businesses at all levels of the food chain routinely borrow to fund operations and buffer fluctuations in cash inflows and outflows. Second, there is an element of bad faith dealing here. The banks were given TARP funds and other, extensive types of support so they could support the economy via lending. Raising rates to beat the impact of new rules was predictable (the long lead time for implementation of the rules was no accident) but the brazenness of the banks is still remarkable.

From Rasmussen:

Fifty percent (50%) of Americans say interest rates on their credit cards have been raised in the past six months, as Congress seeks to limit the ability of banks to raise those rates.

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that just 31% say the interest rates have not been raised on any of their credit cards in that period. Nineteen percent (19%) aren’t sure.

Sixty-nine percent (69%) of adults say an increase in the interest rate on a credit card makes them less likely to use that card. Twenty-five percent (25%) disagree and say they are not less likely to use a credit card after the interest rate has been raised.

But then 51% of adults say they pay their credit cards in full each month, thereby avoiding any interest payments. However, nearly as many (45%) say they sometimes carry a balance on their cards.

Yves here. The interesting bit is that if consumers follow through with their intentions, some consumers who never carry balances will shift their purchases away from a credit card company that raises rates, maybe out of general principle (or perhaps a view that if the company behaves badly on this front, it may not be accommodating on other fronts, like dealing with billing disputes). Back to the report:

continued>>>
http://www.nakedcapitalism.com/2009/11/50-say-their-bank-increased-credit-card-rates-in-the-last-six-months.html

[AndyA]

1. Who could have possibly predicted or anticipated that the banks would do such a thing?

I mean, banks are good, right? :eyes:

(Sorry for borrowing a line from Bushco, but it's still so appropriate for the times.)

[valleywine]

2. And insurance health premiums will be increasing in the same fashion. They

have years to do it. Congress does not learn, nor wants to learn.