Credit Traps Snag Consumers信贷消费陷阱障碍

Article source: http://www.goarticles.com/ . 文章来源： http://www.goarticles.com/ 。 Used with author's permission. 用作者的许可。

Nearly 20 years ago I worked for a small consumer advocacy organization in Washington, DC.近20年前，我工作的一个小消费者权益组织在华盛顿特区。 Each week we received sacks full of mail from consumers across the country requesting our list of credit cards with low interest rates and no annual fees.每个星期我们收到麻袋充分的邮件从消费者在全国各地，要求我们的名单信用卡低利率和年费。 If you wanted a low interest rate on a credit card back then, you often had to apply to a bank in Arkansas where interest rates were capped by state law.如果你想低利率的信用卡后，你常常适用于银行在阿肯色州时的利率上限的国家法律。

Those were the good old days.这些都是好日子。

Now, interest rates range from zero percent to a high 39 percent.现在，利率从零水平高百分之三十九。 It's tougher to find (and keep) a good credit card than ever before.这是难于找到正确的（并保持）一个良好的信用卡比以往任何时候。 That's because there are many new traps that can snag unsuspecting consumers.这是因为，有许多新的陷阱，可钉子没有疑心的消费者。

At the top of the list is the "universal default clause" which allows issuers to monitor you credit report and raise your rate if you are late on any bill that appears on your credit report.在清单的最上方是“普遍的违约条款” ，允许发行人，以监测你的信用报告并提高您的速度如果你是已故的任何法案，出现在您的信用报告。 One major issuer, for example, will hike a 0 percent rate to 24.99 percent if you slip up!一个主要的证人，例如，将提高1 0个百分点率百分之24.99 ，如果你滑起来！

In fact, true "fixed rates" are rare.事实上，真正的“固定利率”是罕见的。 Many consumers don't realize that a "fixed" credit card rate isn't the same as, say, a fixed-rate mortgage.许多消费者不知道，一个“固定”的信用卡利率是不一样的，也就是说，一个固定抵押贷款利率。 In most states, card issuers can raise the interest rate on a fixed-rate credit card with just fifteen days' written notice.在大多数州，发卡可以提高利率对固定利率的信用卡只有15天的书面通知。 The new rate can typically apply to existing balances as well as new purchases.新利率通常可以适用于现有的结余，以及新的采购。

Fees are also on the rise.收费标准也有所增加。 Take late fees, for example, twenty years ago a late fee on a credit card was still fairly unusual, and typically wasn't charged unless you were 15 days late with a payment.采取滞纳金，例如， 20年前，晚费的信用卡仍然相当不寻常，而且通常没有被起诉，除非你有15天与晚付款。 Now you often must get your payment to the issuer by a certain hour in the morning or you'll be charged a late fee of as much as $39.现在，你往往必须让您的款项，将通过发行一定时间在上午或你会被落案起诉一名已故费高达39美元。 Go over the limit and you'll not only pay more interest, but a steep over limit fee as well.围棋的限制，你会不仅支付更多的利益，而是一个陡坡超过限额的费用，以及。

Foreign travelers are often charged a "currency conversion charge" of 1 - 2 percent of the amount of their purchase.外国游客往往是收费的“货币转换费”的1 -2百分之数额购买。 As the result of a class action lawsuit, Visa and MasterCard were ordered to provide refunds of those fees in certain circumstances.由于集体诉讼，维萨和万事达下令提供退还这些费用在某些情况下。 The problem wasn't that the fees were illegal, but it was determined they weren't properly disclosed.这个问题是不是收费都是非法的，但它确定他们没有适当披露。 The case is being appealed.此案目前正在上诉。

Here are some findings from the nonprofit Consumer Action's annual survey of credit cards ( www.consumer-action.org ):以下是一些结论非营利性消费者行动的年度调查信用卡（ www.consumer - action.org ） ：

-- The vast majority of surveyed cards have significantly higher penalty rates that are triggered by one or two late payments in a period of six months to a year. -绝大多数接受调查的卡已经明显高于罚款速度，引发的一个或两个延迟付款的期限为六个月至一年。

-- One-fifth of surveyed issuers have shifted to tiered late payments, which Consumer Action interprets as a deceptive way of charging higher-than-average late fees. -五分之一的受访发行已转向三级迟缴会费，其中消费者行动的解释是欺骗性的方式收取高于平均水平滞纳金。

-- The number of cards with $35 late fees has more than doubled from last year. -数卡， 3 5元滞纳金增加了一倍以上从去年。

-- More than half the cards surveyed require cardholders to pay only 2 percent of the monthly balance each month - a disturbing trend that dramatically increases the overall interest paid by cardholders. -有一半以上接受调查的需要卡持卡人仅支付百分之二每月余额每月-一个令人不安的趋势，大大提高了整体利益支付的持卡人。

-- More than one-third of surveyed institutions will not provide a firm annual percentage rate (APR) until they have screened the applicant's credit history. -超过三分之一的受访机构不会提供一个坚实的年利率（ 4月） ，直到他们筛选申请人的信用历史。 Instead, they give only a meaningless range of rates before screening, which makes comparison shopping difficult if not impossible.相反，他们只能毫无意义的一系列利率甄别，这使得购物比较困难甚至是不可能的。

Don't get me wrong - I am not saying that credit card companies should not make money.不要误解我的意思-我不是说信用卡公司不应该赚钱。 In fact, easy access to credit has helped fuel our economy, especially when the going gets rough.事实上，容易获得贷款，帮助燃料的经济，特别是当会得到粗糙。 But many consumers now are literally trapped by high-cost debt with few options.但是，许多消费者现在确实陷入了高负债的成本很少的选择。 I've spoken to consumers who feel they have no choice but to file for bankruptcy because their credit card companies all raised their interest rates to between twenty and thirty percent, and they simply cannot manage to pay the balances down.我曾就此事向消费者谁觉得他们别无选择，只能申请破产，因为他们的信用卡公司都提高了利率，以之间21和百分之三十，他们根本无法支付管理的余额下降。 With all the landmines out there for credit card users today, the best strategy is still to pay down debt as quickly as possible and limit yourself to a couple of cards to avoid problems.所有的地雷有信用卡用户，最好的策略仍然是偿还债务尽快和限制你的一对夫妇的身份证，以避免问题。

Sometimes, of course, that's easier said than done!有时候，当然，这谈何容易！

For more information on ways to build great personal and business credit, visit www.BusinessCreditSuccess.com .欲了解更多有关如何建立伟大的个人和商业信贷，访问www.BusinessCreditSuccess.com 。

Gerri Detweiler is considered one of the country's top credit experts. Gerri Detweiler被认为是该国最大的信贷专家。 She has been interviewed for thousands of radio, television and print newstories including USA Today, The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, Dateline NBC and many others.她已采访了数以千计的电台，电视和印刷newstories包括今日美国报，华尔街日报，纽约时报，日界线NBC和其他许多人。 She has testified before Congress several times and worked on reform of the national credit reporting laws.她曾在美国国会作证几次改革工作的国家信用报告的法律。

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