Congressional scrutiny may be pushing some major banks into changing their credit card practices, but there’s still plenty for consumers to watch out for.

Advocacy groups such as the Consumer Federation of America, Consumers Union, and the Better Business Bureau have been pushing for action and warning for years about the difficulty in understanding extra fees and charges.

“What we need is better – not more – disclosure,” said Travis Plunkett, legislative director of the Consumer Federation. “Consumers need user-friendly information on important fees and interest rates, including fees and terms that currently aren’t disclosed at all.”

He said some practices need to be stopped, such as two-cycle billing, which charges interest on credit-card debt already repaid by the consumer. For example, a cardholder who paid $200 June 15, leaving a balance of $25, would receive a July bill charging interest on $225 for half of June.

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