Hightower Lowdown

It's hard to feel much love for bankers, but they're sure not helping themselves right now. Even as they've been clamoring for us taxpayers to give them a massive bailout, they've been lobbying furiously in Washington to kill a bill that would make them give us a small break.

It's called the "Credit Cardholders' Bill of Rights," and it would put a halt to some of the nastiest tactics that these credit-card hucksters use against their own customers. For example, they now jack up the interest rate on our cards overnight whenever they feel like it and without advance notice. The Bill of Rights, however, would require them to tell us 45 days in advance.

Another gouge is those late fees. Many times, your monthly bill arrives only a few days before it's due. If you're ill, traveling, or otherwise unable to jump right on it, you're socked with a hefty late fee. Rather than mailing our bills only 14 days before the due date, as banks now do, the Bill of Rights requires that they mail bills to us 25 days before they're due.

Despite the banks' army of lobbyists, the Credit Cardholders Bill of Rights has passed the House and is pending in the Senate. For information, contact Consumer Federation of America: 202-387-6121.