Consumer Complaints: Bank of America raising interest rate because they want to

We've all heard the stories of credit card companies suddenly deciding to raise your interest rate. If you've made a late payment or gone over your limit, the credit card agreement allows them to immediately raise your rate. And there are other lesser-known reasons for raising your interest rate. Now it's become more common for credit card companies to have a clause in your agreement that allows them to raise your interest rate if your credit score decreases or if you have a late payment to a different credit card company.

One WalletPop reader wrote to me with this note about her increased interest rate:

I am writing because the Bank of America, where I have 5 or 6 different accounts, all in good standing, called me to tell me that my small business credit card finance rate was going to be increased to 23.99%. Not because I was ever late on a payment. Not because I went over my limit. Not even because I wasn't paying the minimum payment (I always pay more than the minimum payment). Nope. It was because I wasn't paying my balance down "fast enough".