Credit Card Traps To Avoid: How the New ‘Universal Default Clause’ Can Hurt Your Pocketbook
The problem: American consumers have an estimated $2 trillion credit card debt collectively, and the total debt seems to be going higher. Personal bankruptcies are on the rise. It’s been estimated that 8 out of 10 of these same consumers have never received any sort of meaningful, practical education in personal finance.
But you’re different. You’ve worked hard to improve your credit score by making sure you’ve paid all major credit cards on time every month without fail. But consider this: could a late payment to the local video store rental club unravel all you’ve achieved?
A record number of credit card companies have built “universal default” clauses into their agreements, which allow them to raise your interest rate if you’re late making a payment — even to someone else!
Is there such a danger lurking in the fine print of your credit card contract (blithly referred to as “the agreement” by the companies)? Is there a nasty surprise waiting inside your next monthly credit card statement?
Lately, news reports of more and more people becoming aware of the so-called “universal default” clause buried in the fine print in their credit card agreements; becoming aware not because they were curious about this heavy-handed new trend, but because they have been personally affected by the clause — a clause that sometimes spikes the monthly revolving interest rate up as high as 30%!
How could this happen, you say? Well, some credit card companies — apparently on a new search to implement new fees to increase corporate profits — have introduced this onerous high-interest penalty on their customers. Read more of this >>
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