5. More Advance Notice of Card-term Changes

A handful of provisions in the CARD Act go into effect as early as September 2009. One big one: Issuers must provide cardholders with at least 45 days' notice of rate increases and other changes to their credit-card terms and fees. “It gives you enough time to decide if you're willing to accept those terms,” says Clifford. “You have an adequate window to make a decision.” Coupled with a requirement for easy-to-understand language on your statement, those changes ought to be easily understandable, too, adds Bosley.

To Prepare: Start reading any disclosure notices you receive from the credit-card company so that you can make an informed decision about whether to stick with that issuer or take your business elsewhere. (For some of the traps you may need to watch out for, see our story here.)