Dear FRONTLINE,

I think the program that you aired was a little one sided. Consumers don't need more protection from themseleves, they just need to be smarter.

Credit card companies are not hiding the fact that they will impose fees and interest for using thier services.

. People too easily lay blame on someone taking advantage of them when they really just need to take responsibility for thier actions and purchases. It is pretty simple really. Just don't buy something you can't afford!

Kelley Motley
Seattle , WA

Dear FRONTLINE,

When I started college I was offered a credit card from Signet Bank. When I maxed it out and was begining to miss payments, not ONLY did the interest rate jump to 24.9% but my limit was increased by $1500. A $2500 debt total took 5 years to pay off (to the tune of over $5000) and ruined my credit score for over a decade.

I haven't had a credit card since then and have paid cash for the things I wish to purchase. Now I've found that I'm having difficulty obtaining a mortgage because I no longer have a "credit card score". You're damned if you have them and twice so if you don't.

The best solution I can think of is for every American to simply refuse to pay their credit cards and send these products of corporate greed to their graves.

Roy Omslear
Seattle, WA

Dear FRONTLINE,

I am one of those that do read my contract, but I must have skipped over the part about default. Very disconcerting, to say the least.

I wanted to relay a good experience I had using a credit card to obtain money to finance a down-payment on a rental property. I borrowed about $4,000 in 1999 (I didn't even have a job history at the time; I was still in school after being divorced in 1995). I diligently paid $200-400 a month (from spousal support payments) on a 12 month introductory low interest rate card. When the 12 month period was near ending, I switched to another card offer with another 12 month low interest rate.

It took about 3 years to pay it all off - how thrilling that finally was! It worked for me at that time in my life - now I need to be more careful.

I, like many of those posting, am encouraged to use money in savings to pay off as much as I can on the credit card debt I now have on one card. I also will cancel all but two cards. Your show has inspired me to rein in my consumer urges and lead a more simple and satisfying life.

Carol Eatherly
Ashland, Oregon

Dear FRONTLINE,

The program was a reminder that the banking industry which is experiencing record profits is spending its money to keep regulations favorable - there is no doubt who "owns" Washington, D.C. I

t is through programs such as FRONTLINE and the tireless efforts of a small and dedicated group of consumer advocates such as NACBA, the National Association of Consumer Bankruptcy Attorneys, that consumers - the general public - become more knowledgeable about the unfair practices of the credit card and banking industry.

Write letters! Vote and exercise your power at the ballot box! Get the legislators to hear our call for better controls on the banks and credit industry!

Anita Phagan
San Jose, CA

Dear FRONTLINE,

Thanks to your report, I will take money from my savings and pay off my outstanding balances; it makes a lot of sense! What else can we as citizens do to combat this travesty? Sign me up. I have children and grandchildren to protect from the clutches of these credit card companies and our government who can care less.

Keep reports like this coming.

Veronica Darrell
Anchorage, Alasks

Dear FRONTLINE,

Talking about banks, I am going to give you an example about Capital One. This bank never reports anybody's line of credit to the credit bureaus and that by itself is harmful to your fico score because if you put any balance on your account with Capital One when there is no indication of credit limit Fair Issac Disc automatically deducts your fico because your balance is going to be considered more than your line of credit which is ZERO. You figure this out yourself!!!!!

T J Main
BH, CA

Dear FRONTLINE,

What an outstanding program!! Thank you so much for the public service you provide.

Mine is among the millions of American families who the credit card companies love - revolvers. While I make a real effort to make much more than the minimum payments, thanks to your report, I will be making a bigger effort to get out from under the debt we carry and become a "deadbeat". I wonder how much paper and energy you will be responsible for saving thanks to your report.

The allure of "easy" credit is difficult to resist. My wife and I used the equity in our house to pay down our once greater-than-average credit card debt to nothing. Unfortunately, the desire for "things" or the need to pay for unforeseen expenses have driven it back up, though no where near as much as before.

Greg Hanson
San Diego, Ca

Dear FRONTLINE,

Although I pay my balance in full each month, once, I was late with a payment due to an extended vacation. I promptly paid the next bill with penalty charges, in full. The following month, I recieved a bill with intrest calculated and added on, in the amount of the late fee over the time period that it took for my payment to reach them. This could go on forever!

Since I'm a person who pays promptly, I shudder to think of what it must be like for the people who can't pay their bills. Keep up the good work. Perhaps the OCC will get the message that the public is unhappy!

Mary Ramsey
Portland, Oregon

Dear FRONTLINE,

Terrific show - thank you. I wish you would post somewhere the email addresses or street addresses of key people to contact regarding issues brought up in your shows. For instance, I would like the address of the OCC - so they would know that I have a problem with their consumer protection.

Perhaps if we all wrote, Ms Williams would have to stop pretending that she had never heard that there were many credit card/banking complaints. Even more important, I would like addresses and names of key members of Congress dealing with these specific issues, who could perhaps use letters to help represent consumers in their legislation or votes. It might not balance the money that goes to the Capitol from the industry - but it might help.

donna joslyn
Vancouver, WA

Dear FRONTLINE,

As the professor who teaches contract law stated,in the program, a contract used to mean both parties understand the agreement. If the OCC, Congress, etc. were fair, then a contract would necessarily have to be regulated so that the same provisions govern both sides of the contract equally.

For example, if I make a payment to a creditor, it is now deducted almost automatically from my account. That's okay. But if a creditor makes an error, or I have a return, the process for reimbursing me takes several weeks and there is no interest charged. The "contract playing field" is not level.

Irvine, CA

Dear FRONTLINE,

While I found your program informative about bank and credit

card practices, I think it is dealing only with the symptoms

and not the true cause of the problem.

I don't think it was merely coincidental that at roughly the

same time that usury rates were lifted in most states, that the

credit reporting agencies also changed the way they conducted

their business. Credit histories were raised to reflect the

past 7 years on ordinary consumer credit, while public record

entries were raised to 10 years.

I believe that this single

act alone is mostly responsible for the woes and unfair tactics

that have been employed by most of the credit card, and to a

larger extent, the whole credit industry. Why is everyone

afraid to tackle this aspect of the credit industry?

The simple fact is that the credit reporting agencies have

a larger and more powerful impact on the lives of most Americans

than any other institution in their daily lives. Have they

become too powerful? I would advocate for reform of the credit

reporting agencies to reflect a consumer's recent history, say

no longer than 3 years ago for ordinary consumer credit, and

7 years for public records, and outlaw the practice of so-called

"FICO" scores altogether.

This would, of course, tighten the money supply, bur at the same time would save millions of consumers from massive, crushing debt with the resulting bankruptcies, and may, in the long run, save the economy and the government from the total

fiscal collapse that looms somewhere on the horizon.

Stephen Chatlovsky
Santa Maria, California

Dear FRONTLINE,

I believe it is unethical for the three credit reporting companies to charge me for the personal information that they gather on me. The three companies make money by providing my information to credit card companies. I believe they should be legally obligated to provide me with an annual report for free so that I can monitor their accuracy. Perhaps they should pay consumers a fee every time they give information out - similar to the dividend a celebrity makes each time their "product" is used.

Thank you for the excellent report. You have motivated me to pay off my one credit card balance of $1200 immediately with the money in my savings account.

Margaret Granger
goleta, california

Dear FRONTLINE,

Recently, I was offered a 0 percent rate for the life of the loan. I took it, not knowing that there is a universal default clause in effect. Fortunately, I pay all my bills on time as agreed. However, I have been out of work for almost a year, and have incresed my credit card debt to where I might have unattractive ratios which may make that 0 percent 25 percent all of a sudden. Throughout this whole period of being laid off I have made payments as before. But as my life is filled with more hardship than before, if the CC companies were to change their rates, I'd be hard pressed to make the payments. It feels like getting kicked when you are down, just the possibility. That's my two cents worth.

Pat Delaney
Pasadena, CA

Dear FRONTLINE,

I believe the program that aired tonight was good at identifying an issue that is not a secret - however - I would have liked to have seen solutions about how to get out of debt for those who are in it. I am not in debt and have never carried a balance on a credit card in more than 16 years. I am not independently wealthy but have maintained the discipline to use credit as I believe it should be used rather than a bridge loan solution - that is what banks are for or lines of credit set up in advance of problems (job loss, illness, etc.).

It would have been good to have had one of the focus group individuals be a "deadbeat" and not carry a balance - from the group it seemed that all had various amounts of debt.

Bottom line - great show - more solutions provided would be helpful.

Portland, OR

Dear FRONTLINE,

I have a small retail shop and receive credit card information all the time. Your story did not include a recent development targeting the under 18yrs. segment of the population spearheaded by Visa and Mastercard. They will soon be launching prepaid credit cards to engage the too young to drive or hold a job group of consumers. Visa's card is called the Buxx card. Mastercard's entry is the i-GEN card. Visa is also bringing out a pink card with a picture of tween queen Hilary Duff; also prepaid. The thought here is instead of paying money for chores or an allowance, the payment is made to the card and is used in lieu of cash if the child wants to buy something. I can't help but believe that this will set kids up developing a plastic habit that's hard to break. As your story pointed out, it is very easy to just pull out credit card. When forced to part with those $20's, $50's and $100's when making a purchase, the impression is more indelible than if you just sign your name. Parents beware, the credit cards have you; don't surrender your children!

Littleton, CO