Credit Card Fees You Need To Know About

You may not be aware of it, but many major credit card issuers have a hidden clause in your terms of agreement, known as the Universal Default Clause.
The Universal Default Clause Fiasco is a standard mechanism used by credit agencies to assess your overall credit worthiness and adjust your interest charges and fees accordingly.
The Universal Default Clause is a clever way credit card issuers justify increasing your interest rate, at a moments notice, and with virtually no recourse fo ryou. How does it work? Credit card issuers maintain a constant vigil of your credit report. The moment they notice you have made a late payment on any loan, the default clause kicks into effect and allows them to significantly increase your interest rate. The most common factors that have been known to trigger the clause include a reduction in your credit score, and late car or mortgage payments.
The Institute of Consumer Financial Education estimates up to 40% of credit card issuers have the Universal Default Clause in effect, and its impact can represent a doubling, or more, of your current interest rate. High interest rates can devastate your cash flow and increase the pressures to meet monthly maintenance fees. Watch out for this clause and do your best to make all your loan payments on time.
Bottom line: Look for the Universal Default Clause in your credit card agreement. Transfer funds to a card that does not use this clause, and in the future, avoid signing up with credit cards that use the Universal Default Clause.