consumer debt

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House Approves Credit Card Reform

(Newser) - The House today approved legislation to protect credit card holders from hidden fees and sudden rate hikes, Reuters reports. Legislators voted overwhelmingly for the Credit Cardholders' Bill of Rights, a measure banks complain will tighten the amount of credit available and make holding a card more expensive. The Senate is...

White House Targets Credit Card Chicanery

Issuers coming under pressure to halt unfair, misleading practices

(Newser) - The Obama administration is throwing its weight behind congressional efforts to crack down on credit card companies, the Wall Street Journal reports. Lawmakers are pushing legislation to ban practices like arbitrarily raising interest rates on existing balances and the president is expected to take a hard line on the issue...

Debt Settlers Promise Relief, Provide Little

Cash-strapped consumers claim companies charge fees without reducing debt

(Newser) - State attorneys general are being overwhelmed with complaints about “debt settlement” companies that promise consumers relief from mounting bills but rarely deliver, the New York Times reports. The number of such companies, which often collect fees of 15% of the total debt to negotiate with creditors, has tripled in...

Debt Collectors Fleece Relatives of the Dead

Getting bereaved to pay up one of the healthiest parts of industry

(Newser) - Bankruptcy and defaults are all the rage these days, but one group is being targeted to pay up: the dead. Entire debt collection agencies have cropped up that specialize in calling bereaved relatives and convincing them to pay the deceased’s debts, even though they have no legal obligation to...

BofA Tricks People Into Paying the Dead's Bills

Bank accused of shady practices in collecting cash from bereaved relatives

(Newser) - Bank of America has been misleading customers into believing they have to pay off the credit card bills of dead relatives, TPM reports. One customer was outraged when a bank rep tried to first trick, and then guilt-trip him into paying his dead mother's bills. A former rep for the...

As Economy Tanks, Will Plastic Fade?

Debit, layaways tempt as consumers watch wallets

(Newser) - Will today’s wallet-watching leave a permanent dent in America’s beloved plastic? Likely to write off $45 billion this year, with billions more at stake, credit-card lenders are tightening rules and raising fees, the New York Times reports. “People are going to have to live within their means,...

As Debit Cards Catch Credit, Banks Cash In

Consumers see way to limit spending; banks adjust fee tactics

(Newser) - Credit is no longer the king of cards, Business Week reports. As banks get stingy with credit and consumers look for ways to reel in their "charge it" ways, more and more are turning to debit cards—so many, in fact, that Visa projects debit spending could exceed credit...

Americans Tighten Belts for New Frugal Age

(Newser) - The credit crisis may force Americans to do something truly drastic: live frugally. Benjamin Franklin-style penny-pinching once defined America, but thrift has gone decidedly out of style in recent times, BusinessWeek reports. "I can't help the economy," says one recent convert to the new frugality. "I've...

Maxed-Out Debtors Find Credit Crutch

Support groups doing brisk business as Americans see red

(Newser) - With the economy sagging and 11.8 million credit-card accounts delinquent, support groups are popping up in churches, colleges, and coffee shops to help people curtail their spending and share red-ink horror stories, the Wall Street Journal reports. "It used to be that you had to live in shame...

Quick-Fix Cash Schemes Find More Takers

Reverse mortgages, insurance buyouts among risky moves

(Newser) - Big banks aren’t the only ones struggling to find the cash to keep going. Americans are feeling the pinch, and grabbing cash anywhere they can find it, the Wall Street Journal reports. Credit-card debts remains high, but more are turning to options that bring a quick infusion of cash...

Indian Phone Banks Tackle US Debt Collection

Cheaper and better workers draw American agencies overseas

(Newser) - As individuals' debt grows in a tough economy, US debt-collection agencies are expanding into India, where collectors work more cheaply—and are often better, the New York Times reports. Indian collectors are “very polite, very respectful, and they don’t raise their voice,” says one CEO. And a...

Bank of England Launches Mortgage Swap Plan

Central bank would take on $100B in mortgages

(Newser) - Commercial banks will be allowed to temporarily swap some $100 billion in troublesome mortgages for securities backed by Britain's central bank under a plan announced today, the Wall Street Journal reports. The move by the Bank of England, aimed at boosting  liquidity and confidence in the banking system, follows similar...

Will That Be Cash or Cash?
Will That Be Cash or Cash?
Feb 5, 2008 9:20 AM CST

Will That Be Cash or Cash?

Americans save more, pay upfront as times get tougher

(Newser) - The collapsing housing market, shaky employment security, and uncertain economic outlook are changing Americans' buying habits: They’re paying with cash. Plastic has become synonymous with debt, helping revive the pay-as-you-go mentality, reports the New York Times. The change could have a major impact on an economy, and a culture,...

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