I got the terms for my Sears card a couple of months ago and told them to take a flying leap. Normally, I would never have dealt with the worst of the provisions in the fine print. I only used the card for large purchases and paid off the debt within a couple of months. Still, when I read the credit agreement, I didn't want anything to do with Citibank or Sears again.

I read the New Standards...colume in this morning's Paddock Publication, Daily Herald. Ms Harrop's analysis is excellent. I did not overbuy a house, or go into credit card debt. I saved to make a down payment on my first house over thirty years ago. My credit rating is excellent, primarily because I have been conservative in using credit, pay my bills monthly, and do without rather than go into debt. Oh, yeah, I never earned $100,000 a year. I did get a letter from one of my credit card companies, indicating that my interest rate was going up. So....I just got a new card from a competing bank, with a lower interest rate. The old card will just go into a drawer until the old bank wants it back. I do expect that the annual fees will come back for bank cards. Too bad Congress has to be the parent for so many people. Lousy role models.