Strands Inc. said more than one-third of consumers in a survey were more eager to open credit card accounts in light of last year's Credit Card Accountability, Responsibility and Disclosure Act.
Most of the 296 people surveyed by Strands, the San Francisco company behind the moneyStrands personal financial management tools for consumers and banks, had positive reactions to the CARD Act, but 18% remained unwilling to open a card account, the company said in a press release Tuesday.
The most popular CARD Act feature among the respondents was the ban on rate hikes on existing balances for cardholders who are current: 30% favored this. However, the top financial activity among respondents was building their savings, at 37%, followed by paying off debt, listed by 30%.
The survey was conducted this month among a random group of consumers 18 to 40 years old.
"It doesn't surprise me that, with the new law in place, people are receptive to trying out additional card offers," Atakan Cetinsoy, Strands' vice president of personal finance products, said in the press release.
Cetinsoy said these trends also benefit PFM providers like Strands, which makes product recommendations based on the spending data that users upload.
"This kind of thinking is a driving reason why Strands goes to great lengths to ensure its technology provides users financial offers, like credit cards, that are customized to reflect their personal financial habits," he said in the release.
