DAILYPROTEST.blogspot.com: February 2012

DAILY-PROTEST.COM MISSION STATEMENT

1. MAKE "OPT OUT" A CONSUMER RIGHT WHENEVER A CREDIT CARD COMPANY CHANGES PRE-EXISTING TERMS. OPTING OUT IS CURRENTLY NOT A CONSUMER RIGHT.

2. CONVINCE CHASE BANK TO EITHER END THEIR 150 PERCENT MONTHLY MINIMUM INCREASE ON THEIR LOW INTEREST RATE, LIFE OF THE LOAN CREDIT CARD AGREEMENTS ALREADY IN PLACE, OR, ALLOW CUSTOMERS THE RIGHT TO "OPT OUT".

3. CREATE A GRASSROOTS NETWORK OF CONSUMERS WHO WILL AGREE TO PROTECT ALL AMERICANS AGAINST FUTURE DRACONIAN BANK AGENDAS.

4. INCENTIVE BASED CONSUMER CREDIT CARD DEBT PAYDOWN PROGRAMS NEED TO REPLACE THE PUNITIVE CREDIT CARD PROGRAMS THAT ARE CURRENTLY IN PLACE.

5. I, ALESSANDRO MACHI, WANT TO BE HIRED BY THE CREDIT CARD COMPANIES AS A CREDIT CARD WATCHDOG THAT PROTECTS THE CONSUMER FROM UNFAIR CREDIT CARD PRACTICES....

6. ...I ALSO WOULD LIKE TO DESIGN INTELLIGENT AND FAIR CREDIT CARD OFFERS FOR COLLEGE BOUND STUDENTS AND THOSE GETTING CREDIT CARDS FOR THE FIRST TIME.

7. ONCE HIRED BY THE CREDIT CARD COMPANIES TO WATCH OVER THEM, I WOULD ALSO DESIGN SUPERIOR CREDIT CARD PROGRAMS TO THOSE PRESENTLY OFFERED.

8. I WOULD CONTINUE TO BE A CONSUMER WATCHDOG WHO NEVER ENTERS THE BOARDROOM. I WOULD NOT BE INFLUENCED OR AFRAID TO SPEAK MY MIND, AND I WOULD BE AGAINST BANKING PRACTICES THAT HURT PEOPLE AND THREATEN THEIR HOMES.

9. CAN YOU NAME ONE CELEBRITY, SPORTS FIGURE, POLITICIAN, JOURNALIST, OR INFLUENTIAL PERSON THAT HAS PUBLICLY CONDEMNED CHASE BANK FOR RAISING THE MONTHLY MINIMUM PAYMENT ON TWO MILLION CHASE BANK CUSTOMERS AN ADDITIONAL 150% ABOVE AND BEYOND WHAT IT ALREADY WAS?

How Chase Bank Chases Small Businesses out of Business

The excerpt below comes from a Wall Street Journal Article.

Patti and Lester Odom of Alcolu, S.C., decided to close their antique-furniture business after the minimum payments on their credit cards went up.

They had started the business several years ago by borrowing about $20,000 on two Chase credit cards, taking advantage of offers that promised low fixed rates for the life of the balance. In January, Chase raised the minimum payment requirements across a group of card holders who had taken advantage of such promotional offers but had, according to the company, made little progress in paying down the balances. For the Odoms, that change resulted in their minimum monthly payments jumping to $420 from $160, they say. As a result, they decided the strain would be too much.

"I know $400 is not a lot to some people, but that's sometimes all that we would spend in a week at the auctions," says Ms. Odom, who also works as a part-time bookkeeper. "With the payment now as high as it is, it's just going to be too much of a struggle to pay it." They are now selling off their inventory.

-- Jane J. Kim