In an article titled "7-Eleven leads fight against what it calls excessive credit card fees", Maria Halkias writes for the Dallas Morning News about how 7-Eleven is using its 6,300 stores in the US to solicit signatures "on petitions calling for Congress to change what the chain says are unfair and excessive credit card transaction fees." [Editor's note: We noticed that the 7-Eleven next door to Glenbrook's HQ began the petition drive last week. There's signage and a notebook for signatures right next to the cash register.]

The American Bankers Association’s Consumer Credit Delinquency Bulletin reported today that in the first quarter of 2009 that bank card delinquencies rose 23 basis points to 4.75 percent (s.a.) of all accounts, compared to 4.52 percent in the previous quarter. (The record was 4.81 percent in the second quarter of 2005.) The balances on those delinquent accounts rose dramatically, up 108 basis points to 6.60 percent (n.s.a.) of the value of all outstanding bank card debt, marking a new record. READ MORE

Based on an interview with Heartland Payment Systems CEO Robert Carr, Rachael King writes for BusinessWeek about lessons learned during the Heartland data breach that began in 2008 and was discovered and announced in January 2009.

Equifax has launched Debt Wise, a new product that uses information from the Equifax Credit Report to consumers to free themselves from debt--faster. According to Equifax, "Debt Wise effectively eliminates one of the biggest hurdles for many debt laden consumers -- getting started. Subscribers can create their personal debt payment plan online in as little as 10 minutes, in the privacy and comfort of their own home." READ MORE

• Credit Slips: In Favor of the Consumer Financial Protection Agency (CFPA)
• UATP Announces Vice President, Global Sales; Focus on New Issuers and Growing UATP Programs
• Zoompass Blog: Zoompass and the Telcos
• Consumer Assistance Needed to Help Fight Identity Theft
• ING DIRECT Survey: Americans Blame Low, No Money Down Mortgages for Economic Downfall
• NCR's Newest POS Workstation Quickly Gaining Traction with ISVs and Resellers
• The Columbus Dispatch: More are paying taxes via plastic
• NY Daily News: Obama's new financial plan aims to limit "too big to fail" banks
• Americans Feeling More Confident That Their Identities Are Safe Compared to a Year Ago
• American Banker: Citi-SK Telecom Venture Expanding
• Discover Bank Announces New Online Savings Account
• Groundbreaking Study Reveals African-Americans and Hispanics Significantly Less Prepared for Retirement Than Their White and Asian Counterparts