February 22 marks the effective date of the new federal law regulating credit card disclosure called the Credit Card Accountability, Responsibility, and Disclosure (CARD) Act of 2009. Among other things, the act requires the lender to notify you 45 days before any changes to your terms and conditions. Your monthly credit card bill will include information on how long it will take you to pay off your balance if you only make minimum payments. It regulates the issuance of cards to people under 21, and puts limits on fees for gift cards as well.
The Federal Reserve has more details on the changes with some samples of what kind of information you will see.
See our page on Credit and Banking for related information.
