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NATIONAL CONSUMER PROTECTION WEEK IS MARCH 7-13 REPORT A SCAM: IT’S 

EASIER THAN EVER 

New credit card protections take effecteb. 22, and to help you understand theey changes, we have outlined what creditards were like before the new law (the

Credit CARD Act) and how they’reifferent now.

Rate increasesBEFORE THE CARD ACT: Credit cardompanies could increase your interestate at any time for any reason.

NOW: In general, credit card companiesan’t increase your rates within the firstear after you open a new account. They

also can’t increase the rate to an existingcredit card balance. If they do plan toincrease your rate, they must give you a45-day notice and the opportunity tocancel the card.

Universal default

BEFORE: In a practice called universaldefault, credit card companies could upyour card’s interest rate if you were lateon other separate payments, such as yourutility bills or cell phone bill.

NOW: This practice is illegal; credit cardcompanies can’t raise the rate you pay on

a credit card because of the way you pother bills.

Over-the-limit fees

BEFORE: Credit card companies coultack on an extra fee if you went over ycredit card limit, even if you didn’t int

to go over the limit. For example, youcould get a $30 fee for charging $8,00an $8,000-limit credit card.

NOW: You must opt-in if you want toaccept over-the-limit fees and the abilto charge more than your limit. Withoyour approval,

Mark your calendars! National Consumerrotection Week (NCPW) is March 7-13,

when consumer advocates will travelhroughout Ohio to help you and youramily make the most of your money.

NCPW partners willost financial fairs,ommunity forums andducational workshops.

They’ll provide you withhe information andools you need to

manage your money,revent identity theft, understand yourredit and avoid unfair and deceptiveusiness practices.

NCPW partners include Ohio AttorneyGeneral Richard Cordray’s office, OhioDepartment of Commerce, OhioDepartment of Aging, Ohio Department of 

nsurance, Office of the Ohio Consumers’Counsel, the Ohio Housing Finance

Agency, Internal Revenue Service, U.S.Postal Service, Social SecurityAdministration, Ohio Better BusinessBureaus, Federal Trade Commission, theOffice of Senator Sherrod Brown, ProSeniors and housing counseling agencies.

To find an event near you, visitwww.OhioAttorneyGeneral.gov/NCPW or call (800) 282-0515.

If you can’t make it to NCPW, you canrequest a consumer speaker any time of the year at

www.OhioAttorneyGeneral.gov/ ConsumerWorkshops.

Continued on pa

Have you received a suspicious e-mail, a fishy phone call or anunexpected check in the mail? Leknow about it.

Using our new “report a scam” toyou can quickly and easily submitinformation any time you suspectscam. The information you providwill be used to help the AttorneyGeneral’s Office track trends andalert the public about emergingscams.

Even if you haven’t lost any monor aren’t sure it’s a scam, take a feseconds to submit a report. By doso, you’re playing a critical role inkeeping Ohioans safe.

To report a scam, visit

www.OhioAttorneyGeneral.gov/ ReportaScam.

WHY CREDIT CARDS JUST GOT BETTER FOR CONSUMERS 

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