JPMorgan to pay $100M in credit card settlement

[July 25, 2012]  NEW YORK (AP) -- JPMorgan Chase has agreed to pay $100 million to settle a lawsuit by customers who claim the nation's largest bank improperly increased minimum payments on their credit card bills.

The proposed settlement would end a three-year-old case against Chase for raising the cardholders' minimum payment to 5 percent of account balances from 2 percent in 2008 and 2009. Cardholders claim Chase did it to make extra money on fees it charged to people who couldn't meet higher payments.

The settlement was disclosed in a filing Monday with the U.S. District Court in San Francisco.

In the court document, Chase argued that increasing the monthly payments was a reasonable and sensible response to unprecedented economic turmoil and impending regulatory changes.

JPMorgan Chase & Co. didn't respond to request for comment on Tuesday.

A judge plans to review the settlement in August.

[Associated Press]

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