Sunday, September 6, 2009

"The C.A.R.D. Act Is Coming"


You don’t want to be pinched by credit, creditors or extenders of credit in an economy working to recover. The credit problems of recent years have been addressed in new regulations and rules in the coming C.A.R.D. Act (Credit, Accountability, Responsibility and Disclosure Act) that will affect you. Aspects of credit will change under the new rules as of January 2010 including fees, credit reports, terms, minimum payment, who will and who won’t get credit and on what terms !

You can ignore changes or you can learn how to effectively and efficiently face the challenges, issues and toxic habits found inside yourself that keep you a hunted prey by the credit card companies. They feed on your ignorance. Yes, by law, you will receive notices and inserts in your billing envelope, however, they don’t include a magnifying glass for you to read the tiny and confusing language.

You can work with a trained counselor who stays abreast of the changes by staying plugged into the credit industry. You can learn what to do and most importantly, what not to do. Not to long ago, seeking advice of a debt counselor was seen as a ‘very personal problem’. Now it's seen as smart to seek out the advice of a trained credit risk assessment planner to help you make informed decisions. And who can see objectively your underlying issues preventing you from reaching your goals !

You can learn your consumer rights in the C.A.R. D. law and how to exercise them. There are good points such as the credit card companies must provide at least 45 days notice of interest rate increases on future purchases. And your existing balances will generally be protected from interest rate increases. IF the interest rate goes up because you have not made the minimum payment within 60 days after the due date, the rate must go back to the original LOWER rate IF you make on-time minimum payments for six months. They will count on you NOT keeping count of your on-time payments.

To help those who have not figured out how to live INSIDE their income, the C.A.R.D. Act will require issuers to review your ability to pay BEFORE raising your rate limits or issuing you a new card. This will help those who can’t help themselves. The new law carries many new changes, however it is ultimately up to the consumer to understand what the terms are BEFORE agreeing to them, and most importantly, know how to live within those terms, seek professional advice.

Call Spectrum Resources (863) 967-0660 or email SpectrumResources@tampabay.rr.com and visit our blogs, they all have different bits of wisdom for your benefit. http://financialeducationandoptions.blogspot.com/ and http://moneysavingtips.polkvoice.com/ & http://spectrumresources.wordpress.com/ Help us help others with financial literacy. Please mail your tax exempt donation to: S.R.D.C. 2014 Brentwood Drive, Auburndale, FL. 33823

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