Obama set to approve new rules for credit cards

WASHINGTON: New rules for the credit card industry that are designed to protect consumers from surprise charges, such as over-the-limit fees and costs for paying a bill by phone, are part of a bill President Barack Obama is set to sign into law.

Obama plans to sign on Friday an overhaul of credit card regulations that he blames in part for the economic downturn. Despite opposition from financial companies, the bill cleared Congress with broad support.

``These are important reforms to protect consumers and to bring some commonsense rationality into our financial system, and the president looks forward to signing it as quickly as possible,'' White House spokesman Robert Gibbs said.

The new rules, which would go into effect in nine months, would prohibit credit card companies from giving cards to people under 21 unless they can prove they have the means to pay the debt or a parent or guardian co-signs for the card.

Under the bill, a customer would have to be more than 60 days behind on a payment before seeing a rate increase on an existing balance. Even then, the lender would be required to restore the previous, lower rate if the cardholder pays the minimum balance on time for six months.

Consumers also would have to receive 45 days' notice and an explanation before their interest rates increased.

Last year, the Nilson Report estimated that more than 700 million credit cards were in circulation in the United States. That's more than two cards for every man, woman and child.

Many cardholders are carrying hefty balances. According to the Federal Reserve, the nation is some $2.5 trillion in debt, a figure that does not include home mortgages.