Relief is (eventually) on the way

Cash-strapped consumers got some welcome news on Thursday when regulators voted to rein in controversial credit card practices. But they'll have to wait another year and a half to get relief - the new rules won't take effect until July 1, 2010.

The Federal Reserve Board, the Office of Thrift Supervision and the National Credit Union Administration approved the regulation, which prohibits banks from certain practices like applying interest payments in ways that maximize penalties, and forces lenders to be more transparent about their billing practices.

Read the full story via The US-Financial-News Blog.