If you saw me on television last week -- watch the video at www.sun-sentinel.com/helpteam -- you know I was encouraging you to write to the Federal Reserve and tell them what you think of their plans to reign in credit card companies and bank overdraft charges The rules they propose are good. Not strong enough in my view. But they will help consumers somewhat.

Ohio's state Treasurer Richard Cordray is doing the same thing. He hopes to get thousands of people in his state to write about their credit-card horror stories.

Some of the things the new regulations would do:
-Force credit card companies to give you a reasonable amount of time to pay, after the bill arrives.
-End the practice of hiking rates on your balance. In essence, you buy something knowing you'll pay a certain rate only to learn months later that your rate went up.

You can read more about it at www.creditbloggers.com.

To view the proposed rules, go to:
http://www.federalreserve.gov/generalinfo/foia/proposedregs.cfm.
Look for Regulation AA - Unfair or Deceptive Acts or Practices [R-1314])

If you want to comment, here's how:

Send an e-mail to regs.comments@federalreserve.gov. Include Docket No. R-1314 in the subject line.
or,
Send a letter to Jennifer J. Johnson, Secretary, Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, 20th Street and Constitution Ave, NW, Washington DC 20551. Identify your comment by including Docket No. R-1314 on the top of your letter.
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