The Federal Reserve Board has approved an interim final rule amending Regulation Z (Truth in Lending) to require creditors to increase the amount of notice consumers receive before the rate on a credit card account is increased or a significant change is made to the account's terms. The amendments also allow consumers to reject such increases and changes by informing the creditor before the increase or change goes into effect.
These revisions are the first stage in the Federal Reserve Board's implementation of the Credit Card Accountability Responsibility and Disclosure Act of 2009 (Credit Card Act). In May 2009, the Credit Card Act amended the Truth in Lending Act (TILA) and other statutes to establish fair and transparent practices for open-end consumer credit plans, including credit cards.
The Credit Card Act's amendments to TILA go into effect in three stages. This interim final rule implements the provisions of the Credit Card Act that go into effect on August 20, 2009. The remaining provisions go into effect on February 22 or August 22, 2010 and will be implemented by the Federal Reserve Board at a later date.
See press release.
