Hi Bill,

For the first time in many years, Congress is starting to pay attention to unfair credit card fees and practices.

It\’s because they\’re getting worse. Some of the biggest banks in the country, like Citibank and Chase and Capital One and MBNA (now part of Bank of America), have been accused of unfair practices in congressional hearings. Some banks have used so-called \”universal default\” to raise the interest rates of good customers to 36% APR or more; others have been caught changing your bill\’s due date or using the fine print to hook college students into cards with terms they can\’t afford.

And every card company engages in the unbelievable practice of changing the price of their product after you\’ve already bought it — -when they raise your interest rate, it isn\’t only for future purchases, but it applies retroactively to your old balance, too.

Tell Congress to kiss credit card abuses goodbye.

Click here to send them a personalized Valentine:
http://www.njpirg.org/action/financial-privacy/vday?id4=ES

It\’s easy. We\’ll print up all the responses we get and make a Valentine\’s Day delivery to Capitol Hill. We\’re hoping that the not-so-secret admirers they hear from will convince them to take decisive action now to outlaw deceptive credit card practices.

Sincerely,

Allison Cairo
NJPIRG Executive Director
[email protected]
http://www.NJPIRG.org

P.S. If you didn\’t do it already, call to lower your APR. Here\’s what one member reported. \”When I called the credit card company and requested a rate reduction, they transferred me to the rate adjustment department, said I was \”eligible,\” and they dropped it by nearly 3 percent — from over 15 to 13. Thanks very much for prompting us!\” Report your story here: http://www.njpirg.org/action/other-issues/lower-apr

Enjoying the warm sunshine in the Florida Keys this past weekend are three Gloucester City guys , from left, Bob Bevan, Michael Barron and Tom Tedesco.

Picture the palm trees blowing in the wind in the background …. you can almost hear the three-some singing the lyrics from the Alan Jackson, Jimmy Buffet song.

It\’s 5 o\’clock somewhere!………..

I ain\’t had a day off now in over a year
My Jamaican vacation is gonna start right here
If the phones for me
You can tell \’em I\’ve just sailed away

Pour me somethin\’ tall and strong
Make it a hurricane before I go insane
It\’s only half past twelve, but I don\’t care
It\’s five o\’clock somewhere ………….

KLIMOWICZ ADDS 19 EN ROUTE TO 17th DOUBLE-DOUBLE

Media release

Ewing, NJ…The College of New Jersey women’s basketball team hosted No. 6 ranked Cougars of Kean University on Wednesday night in Packer Hall on South Division on the line. The Lions would snap Kean’s 16-game win streak as they pulled off the79-71 win to improve to 17-5 overall and 8-2 in the NJAC, while Kean falls to 21-2 and 9-2 in the NJAC. TCNJ has now won four in a row and ties the head to head series as Kean won the first meeting on January 16, 60-44.

TCNJ’s junior center Hillary Klimowicz (Scotch Plains, NJ/Scotch Plains-Fanwood) added her 17th double-double of the season as she tallied a game-high 19 points and 14 rebounds and six blocks.

TCNJ lead 35-29 at the half as the Lions got 12 first half points from rookie forward Kelsey Kutch (Hillsborough, NJ/Hillsborough). TCNJ led by as many as 12 in the first half (28-16 at 9:14) and in the second half Kean pulled within one point for the first time since the opening bucket of the game at 15:05 in the second half (TCNJ 43-42 Kean). Kean tied the action at 9:51 as freshman Angelica Bermudez (Belleville, NJ/St. Anthony) completed a three-point play and tied the action at 51-51.

TCNJ used an impressive performance from the line in the second half as they shot 82.8%, making 24 of 29 free throws. Among the leaders down the stretch, Kutch hit all 12 of her free throws, making 6-6 in each half, while Klimowicz made 9-of-10 for the game and was 7-8 in the second half. Senior Sara Best (High Bridge, NJ/Voorhees) added 17 points for the Lions and made 6-11 from the floor to help the Lions to the win.

Kean’s junior guard Melissa Beyruti (Union City, NJ/Union Hill) led the Cougars as she tallied 15 points, adding nine in the second half. She added four treys in the contest, while Bermudez finished with 13 points as she too added nine second half points. Senior center Chari’ Cooper (Paulsboro, NJ/Paulsboro) added a double-double as she pulled down 10 rebounds with 10 points. Rookie guard Brittany Powell (Tinton Falls, NJ/Monmouth Regional) added 11 points as she hit 3-of-5 from three points range.

Kean was held to a 34.8% performance from the floor (24-69), while TCNJ also held a 45-38 edge on the boards and forced 22 turnovers.

TCNJ returns to action on February 16 at Richard Stockton for a 1 p.m. road contest at Richard Stockton College, while Kean will play next hosting Richard Stockton on February 20.