Don't Expect a Break on Credit Card Late Fees -- Judge Nixes Late Fee Limit

Westend61/Getty Images If you were hoping for relief from sky-high credit card late fees, you might be out of luck. A Texas judge on Tuesday threw out a proposed Biden-era rule limiting credit card late fees to $8, granting a request from the Trump administration's Consumer Financial Protection Bureau to scrap the rule. Opponents of the rule -- including the American Bankers Association and the US Chamber of Commerce -- said that the late fees deter late payments and that the cap would've disincentivized credit card companies from offering credit to applicants with less-than-stellar credit. Late fees cost Americans $14 billion annually, according to the CFPB, which issued the ruling in March 2024. Many financial experts say that the fees, which typically increase for repeat offenders, harm those who can least afford them. "If you slip up from time to time, you can probably get the fee waived," said Gerri Detweiler, a credit expert and member of CNET Money's expert review board. "I ... Read full article.