In the past a consumer with a good payment record and solid financial history would be just the person large financial institutions love to work with. If you paid more than the minimum on revolving charge accounts, paid on time and had a good rating with the credit bureaus, card issuers competed for your business.

Reducing credit limits for consumers is the first of a one-two punch being broadly applied by large credit card issuers. The reduced credit limit is quickly followed by a huge increase in the interest rate of the credit account. The bank who reduced the credit line thereby placing that consumer in a higher risk category (through no fault of the consumer’s) now demands higher interest payments.

In the space of 60 days, a consumer with $25k in credit available and a $10 balance may see his interest rate go from 11-12% to over 30% on all the revolving credit accounts he carries. This can double or even triple the minimum payments due each month on those accounts. That’s another problem as making only the minimum payment due on revolving accounts can lower your credit rating even more.

If you cannot pay the larger payments being demanded and you do not have the ability to pay off at least some of the accounts quickly with your income or savings, you might consider defaulting on your credit card balances by filing for Chapter 7 bankruptcy.

It is preferable to default on credit card debt than to damage your family’s financial well-being. Personal bankruptcy filings have risen in recent months and predatory credit card companies are one of the biggest reasons for the increased numbers.

Though bankruptcy may stay on your credit report for ten years, it does not mean you cannot regain your ability to obtain credit. Books, seminars and resources are available with practical help for returning consumers to creditworthiness. The dramatic increase in filings for personal bankruptcy will only increase resources available to help those affected.

It takes some effort to re-establish yourself financially but there is life after bankruptcy and for many faced with soaring credit card assessments, it’s the only logical option open to them.

http://SolvingCreditProblems.com looks at the problems faced by real people in the current financial crisis. Chapter 7 Bankruptcy filings have increased dramatically in direct response to predatory lending practices of credit card lenders blatantly changing account terms that make paying off credit card debt impossible even for consumers with good payment records. Learn more about predatory lenders and new credit card laws at Solving Credit Problems