2007 Credit Card Survey
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Non-Profit Org. U.S. Postage PAID CONSUMER San Francisco, CA Permit # 10402 ACTION NEWS Change Service Requested 221 Main Street, Suite 480 • San Francisco, California 94105 • www.consumer-action.org • Spring 2007 2007 Credit Card Survey Universal default: Unforgiving policies for even Gone or just hiding out? minor rule infractions ne of the most egregious hinge on how the term universal anti-consumer credit card default is defined. lmost every credit card agree- advance notice explaining why. But Opractices—universal default ment includes “take it or if you are hit with a penalty rate hike —still appears to be alive and well Universal default Aleave it” terms that favor the or other punitive change in terms, and living in another section of your Consumer Action defines univer- lender. Among the terms that are there is no requirement to notify you cardholder agreement. sal default as an increase in rates shoved down cardholders’ throats in advance of your next statement. In early 2007, most major issuers based on the way are penalty rates. From 1995-2007 the average late deny that they employ “universal customers handle If you pay your fee has more than doubled from default” policies to hike interest other credit ac- Survey at a glance credit card bill $13 to $28—and fees are as high as late even one $39 per incident. If that’s not bad rates based solely on the way cus- counts. A univer- Issuers: 20 Cards: 83 tomers handle their other credit sal default change time—often by enough, then you get socked with accounts such as car loans, mortgages in terms based Average APR: 14.53% even one day— a penalty rate. This year’s penalty and revolving credit accounts. on credit infor- you can get hit rates run as high as 32.24%—on aver- Variable Cards: 69* with a painfully age they are 24.51%. Late payments However, Consumer Action finds mation must be Average Variable APR: 15.25% that many banks still use credit re- “adverse”—the Average Variable Rate Range: large late fee result in higher penalty rates with port information as a reason to make change costs 8.25%-25.24% and your interest 85% issuers—an increase from the adverse account changes under their cardholders more rate skyrockets 2005 finding of 79%. “change in terms” provisions. Knee- money. Fixed Rate Cards: 15 to penalty rate Average Fixed APR: 11.34% Penalty rates jerk interest rate hikes based on Consumer status. Fixed Interest Rate Range: Depending on Penalty rates are much higher credit reports are unfair because of Action draws a 7.90%-15.49% the issuer, you interest rates triggered when you pay the very real probability that credit clear distinction * One card counts as fixed and variable. reports contain errors. between negative may be in inter- your credit card bill late—even once. In recent months, major credit card changes in terms est rate purga- Shrinking grace periods are contrib- issuers have made public statements based on a credit report and “penalty tory for a long uting to the painful problem because before Congress and to the news rate” hikes triggered by a cardhold- time—maybe for as long as you keep you get less time to pay. media that they do not impose “uni- er’s late payments, bounced payment that card. Your credit card’s grace period is If you are turned down for credit, versal default” on cardholders. When See ‘Penalties,’ page 6 you drill down, the statements often See ‘Change in terms,’ page 7 the law requires that you receive Lowest rate credit cards About the credit card survey Variable Rates he 2007 Credit Card Survey www.consumer-action.org and click was conducted between Oct. on “CA News.” APR Annual fee Bank (card name) and web site T9, 2006 and March 2, 2007. With the exception of variable 7.90% None Capital One (Platinum Prestige) Consumer Action examined 83 cards rates, APRs haven’t changed much www.capitalone.com from 20 banks, including the top 10 since Consumer Action conducted 8.25% $19 Wells Fargo (Prime Rate Card) U.S. credit card issuers. its last survey in 2005. www.wellsfargo.com Consumer Action prohibits the Purchase APRs 9.25% None First Command Bank (Platinum) use of its name or any reference to www.firstcommandbank.com its surveys in advertising or for any The average purchase interest 9.99% None Washington Mutual (Platinum) other commercial purpose. rate on all surveyed cards is 14.53% www.wamu.com The issuers surveyed are Amalgam- —about 2 percentage points higher 10.15% None EverBank (EverCard Platinum) ated Bank of Chicago, American Ex- than our 2005 finding and attribut- www.everbank.com press, Arkansas National Bank, Bank able to the sharp increase in the of America, BB&T Bank, Capital Prime Rate in the past two years. Fixed Rates One, Chase, Citi, Commerce Bank, (The Prime Rate was 6% during the 2005 survey and 8.25% during the APR Annual fee Bank (card name) and web site Discover, EverBank, First Command Bank, Franklin Templeton Bank current survey.) 7.90% None Bank of America (Various cards) & Trust, GE Money Bank, HSBC, The range of purchase interest www.bankofamerica.com Metropolitan National Bank, Pulaski rates for all cards is 7.9% (Bank of 7.92% $50* Arkansas National Bank Bank & Trust, US Bank, Washington America, certain fixed rates cards) to www.anbfinancial.com Mutual and Wells Fargo. 25.24% (top tiered rate charged by 7.99% $35-$50 Pulaski Bank & Trust (Standard & Gold) The survey contains 69 variable Metropolitan National Bank). This www.pulaskibank.com rate cards and 15 fixed rate cards. spread has actually narrowed by 2.6 9.90% None Capital One (Platinum Max) (One card from HSBC is issued with percentage points since 2005, when www.capitalone.com either a variable or fixed rate, de- Consumer Action found a range of 9.99% None Bank of America (Various cards) pending on the applicant.) 6%-24.94%. www.bankofamerica.com For a complete list of surveyed This year, the 15 fixed rate cards *Annual fee waived with no-minimum-balance ANB account. cards and interest rates, go to See ‘About the survey,’ page 4 terest rates vary according to the card Consumer Action Buyer beware when and the applicant’s credit history. www.consumer-action.org To get the deal, you must make the transfer with your application. If you Consumer Action is a non-profit pay late, the rate may increase. 501(c)(3) advocacy and education transferring a card balance This year, we found 11 cards with organization founded in 1971. CA low interest rates (1.90%-9.99%) on publishes surveys and distributes ore issuers than ever are us- to a card with a 0% introductory rate multilingual educational materials in balance transfers that waive the bal- printed form and on the Internet. ing 0% interest to lure your for the first three months, you would ance transfer fees for new cardhold- business away from other save the $104 in interest. However, Referrals and advice M ers. (To see offers, go to www.consumer- banks. The offers are everywhere: paying a $75 balance transfer fee action.org, click on CA News, and select CA will provide nonlegal advice and “0% on balance transfers through would reduce your savings to $29. the 2007 Credit Card Survey.) referrals on consumer problems. 6/1/08.” “Pay 0% interest when you In general, the longer the introduc- When accepting an introductory Chinese, English and Spanish are transfer a balance.” tory rate and the larger your balance, spoken. credit card offer, be aware that your If you want to pay down a balance the more you’ll save by transferring (415) 777-9635 • (213) 624-8327 payments will be applied to the low- while saving some interest, you can’t a balance. If you transferred $10,000 est interest portion of your balance— [email protected] do much better than that. Or can from a 17% interest card to a card like the 0% transfer—and not to you? with a 12-month 0% introductory San Francisco higher interest parts of your balance, In Consumer Action’s most recent rate, in the first year you could real- such as purchases and cash advances. 221 Main St., Suite 480 Credit Card Survey, 45 out of 83 of ize an impressive savings of more San Francisco, CA 94105 (Some introductory rates are good the cards surveyed had a 0% balance than $1,500 in interest. But a pos- for purchases, balance transfers and (415) 777-9648 transfer offer. (That’s a 38% increase sible $300 balance transfer fee would E-mail: [email protected] credit card checks.) since 2005.) The 0% deals last from eat up 20% of those savings. Such “payment allocation” prac- Ken McEldowney three to 12 months. “If you are going to pay all this Executive Director tices are widespread in the industry. The real deal is always in the fine money for a fee, make sure to get a A recent Government Accountability Michael Heffer print. In this case, 0% sounds like year-long introductory rate,” advises Business Manager Office (GAO) study found that the free money but many banks charge Consumer Action’s Ruth Susswein. vast majority of card issuers apply Kathy Li a balance transfer fee, even if you “And better yet, find an offer that your payment to the balance with Director, San Francisco Office transfer a balance during the applica- waives the transfer fee.” the lowest interest rate.