American Express Co.’s near-term forecast is looking rosier because of improving economic trends plus its role as the lone payment network escaping nearly unscathed from the latest round of card-industry regulations, one analyst says.

Better economic conditions helped boost net profits at Discover Financial Services during its fiscal second quarter. The numbers were aided by higher cardholder spending, lower delinquencies and chargeoffs and a reversal in loan-loss reserve requirements.

Credit card delinquency rates continued to improve in May, firming a months-long trend.

Credit card delinquencies and chargeoffs at credit unions remained near all-time highs, even as the average balance on card accounts continued to grow in the first quarter, according to AssetExchange, a card broker for credit unions.

The Federal Reserve adopted new rules Tuesday barring credit card companies from charging a penalty fee of more than $25 for paying a late bill. The rules, which take effect Aug. 22, also prohibit the companies from charging penalties that exceed the dollar amount associated with the customer's violation.

Just two of the 2,100 credit unions with credit card receivables of $1 million or more sold their portfolios during the first three months of this year, according to TRK Advisors, a card-portfolio consulting firm.

U.S. consumers’ average credit card debt in May fell to its lowest level so far this year, while credit scores held steady, according to new data Credit Karma released June 9.

U.S. Bancorp has purchased grocery retailer Kroger Co.’s credit card portfolio from a Royal Bank of Scotland Group subsidiary.

Credit card direct-mail solicitations from major issuers increased sharply during the first three months of this year, driven in part by a resurgence in rewards card and balance-transfer offers, according to new data Mintel Comperemedia released this month.

The final provisions of the Credit CARD Act take effect in August, but issuers are still in the dark about several key requirements that will affect how they calculate penalty fees.

A Walt Disney World employee used skimming devices at several of the resort’s hotels to steal credit card information from guests, according to federal documents.

Fewer consumers were late on their credit card payments for the fourth consecutive month, a sign that U.S. consumers may be on the mend, according to a report Fitch Ratings released Friday. Payments that were 60 or more days late dropped to 4.18% in May, from 4.27% in April.

The Federal Trade Commission named several new defendants and added charges concerning so-called "forensic audits" to its lawsuit against an operation that allegedly bilked homeowners who were trying to lower their mortgage payments. The action is part of an ongoing crackdown on scams that target consumers who are behind in their mortgage payments or at risk of foreclosure.

A federal judge has put a stop to three companies’ allegedly deceptive telemarketing calls, including robocalls, that promised to reduce consumers’ credit card interest rates.

U.S. credit card charge-off rates that began rising in the fall of 2008 likely hit their peak during the first quarter of this year and are beginning a march back to lower levels, Moody’s Investors Service announced today.

Default rates for first and second mortgages and auto loans reportedly declined in April, from March, though bank card default rates rose for the third month in a row, according to the latest data from Standard & Poor's Ratings Services and Experian PLC.

Target Corp.’s first-quarter performance exceeded the company’s expectations, including its credit card segment’s rise in profitability.

U.S. consumer credit scores are holding steady, with the average score reaching 670 in April, up one point since the beginning of the year, according to new data from Credit Karma Inc.

Determined to improve earnings on sales of bad debt, many credit issuers and consumer lenders are holding back the amount of chargeoffs placed for sale. The strategy is working as prices have inched up since late 2009.

Americans unexpectedly increased borrowing in March, but their credit-card use fell an 18th straight month as unemployment remained high, according to a Dow Jones report.