Have you ever used your credit card and been asked for ID or told you'd have to make a minimum purchase? Both stipulations are against the merchant guidelines that govern Visa and MasterCard.

Clark is not upset when he's asked for ID; he sees it as another safeguard, even if it is against the guidelines. However, there is some recourse available if you are peeved.

MasterCard has a simple-to-use form where you can alert them if a merchant required ID or a minimum purchase. Clark has no idea what becomes of this info once you submit it to MasterCard.

Visa, on other hand, has no such procedure in place. So they have a rule, but no enforcement.

The underlying issue here is that we're still using '60-era magnetic strip technology for credit cards. Europe and Asia, meanwhile, are years ahead of us with their smart chip technology. With the smart chip, you're required to enter a secret code to use your credit card. But the banks that issue cards don't want to spend the money to have a safe system on our shores!

Many of us have what are called -- in credit card lingo -- "back of the wallets." These are the cards we hardly ever use that may be buried somewhere in our wallets or in a drawer at home.

The typical American has about a dozen cards, but only 2 that are used frequently. The rest of those cards are ignored until they go dormant. In fact, you may not even activate the new card when you get it in the mail.

Banks used to just let these dormant accounts sit and hope you'd someday use the card again -- but not anymore. Now if an account goes stale, they'll close that account. That hurts your credit score and limits your access to funds.

So you may want to consider using your "back of the wallets" twice a year about 6 months apart. Charge a nominal amount and then pay it off. That will keep these accounts current in your credit mix and raise your credit score.

This is not just a silly assignment. You'll be helping your score, which is very important in getting lower interest rates, securing job offers and more.

The nation's banks are reaching new lows when it comes to customer no service. The latest wrinkle took Clark by surprise because he's received scattered calls about this issue without realizing there was a pattern emerging.

Now The Wall Street Journal has discovered that banks are arbitrarily reducing credit limits without telling you. The first you'll hear about it is when your purchase is denied!

Some banks are having up to a 10% default rate on the cards they issue. That's a huge number compared to historical averages. Their panic is so great that they're indiscriminately reducing credit limits -- even sometimes for those who pay their bills in full every month.

The Wall Street Journal also reports that banks are taking a zip code approach to reducing credit limits. This is especially true throughout the real-estate bubble states -- California, Arizona, Nevada or Florida. Again, the banks are frightened because they've seen people go from being current on their bills to declaring bankruptcy practically overnight.

Meanwhile, the banks are also targeting the self-employed because they're frightened of small business bankruptcies. Clark read about one person who had an American Express card that got cut from a credit limit of $36,000 to $4,300!

So if you fit into any of these categories, make sure you're not dependent on any one bank or one credit card. You should have multiple lines from multiple banks. But beware if you miss a payment or are late. Then you've really got a bull's-eye on your back.

The Federal Reserve is proposing new guidelines for the credit card industry. These are simply proposed regulations; they haven't been finalized yet and may not be until after the November elections. The banks, predictably, are going berserk trying to push back on these proposals.

Here are some highlights of what's being considered:

• Banks would be required to give you a minimum of 21 days to pay a bill. That means statements would have to go out in a timely manner. Banks could no longer pull that funny business of sending out your statement a day or so before it's due.

• Credit card companies would no longer be allowed to raise rates on existing balances.

• Holds would no longer count toward your limit. This tactic is frequently used to force you over your limit. Holds are placed on your account when you use your card at a hotel, car rental counter or gas pump.

• Double-cycle billing -- often used to charge interest on a statement that's already been paid in full -- will be banned.

Keep in mind that these are only proposals. The aim is to make it look like there's a cop on the beat during an election year. These may be changed completely before they become the law of the land.

One thing is certain -- you can expect an uphill battle! Here's an example of the mentality coming from the banks: Capital One was recently investigated by California's state attorney general for its practices concerning customers. The company decided to change its registration from a state bank to a national one during the inquiry. That exempted them from the attorney general's scrutiny and allowed them to turn around and file a counter suit!

So what's the takeaway for you? Seize the power by not carrying a revolving balance on your credit card. Stop accumulating lifestyle debt and the banks will have no power over you.

For weeks, Clark has been receiving scattered calls from people who say they've received a new unsolicited credit card in the mail. The complaints stem from Citibank buying Macy's credit portfolio and mailing out MasterCards to some 3.5 million inactive accounts. This is outrageous, disgusting and it should be illegal, Clark says. Citi is contributing to account and ID theft by its behavior. A report in The Boston Globe states that Citi says they've received positive feedback from customers about these new cards. Citi also goes on to claim that they informed customers about how to decline these new cards, and that there are no privacy or security issues of concern. Lies, lies and more lies, according to Clark. What's really going on is that Macy's now has created another credit line for people -- also lowering your score, by the way -- by reducing the aging on your credit accounts and issuing you a new major credit card when you might not have wanted one. So if you get one of these pieces of trash in the mail, cut it up. And if you do other business with Citi, don't use their cards. This is the power the marketplace affords you to punish a company that has done the wrong thing.

Clark has taken about 8 calls over the last several months that he thought were UFO questions with no connection to each other. People have been telling Clark they're getting harassed by collectors over debts that were wiped away when they filed for bankruptcy, or that debts that had been thrown out in bankruptcy court are showing up on credit reports as outstanding. Then Clark read Business Week's recent cover story "Prisoners of Debt" and it all made sense: Certain banks, collection agencies and credit bureaus are working together to undermine existing bankruptcy laws. When you file for Chapter 7, you get a bad mark on your record for 10 years. The tradeoff is that you also get to wipe out any credit card debts clean and clear. You usually first go through an evaluation process to see if you should pay a portion of your debts back under Chapter 13. Today you can only do Chapter 7 if your situation is hopeless.

Business Week discovered that Capital One, Bank of America, Chase and Discover are ignoring these bankruptcy laws -- by accident or on purpose -- and illegally selling debts to collection agencies so they can go after you. This flouts the law of the land, whether you agree with it or not. When a Chase lawyer was questioned by a judge about why they've sold bankrupt debts, the lawyer replied that it happens all the time. The Business Week article says the banks claim this is all an unintentional mistake. But there's a clear pattern here: First the lenders fail to wipe out the debt when you file for bankruptcy. Then they sell it off to collectors and score some cash. Next the collectors try to illegally collect the money. Finally, the credit bureaus act as co-conspirators by listing debts on your report that aren't valid. So if you've filed for bankruptcy and are caught in this vicious circle, contact the banks and bureaus by phone and in writing. Try getting them to update the status of your legally expired debts. If that doesn't work, go back to the bankruptcy court where you filed and talk to the judge.

If you are getting solicitations as often as Clark, many of them are probably credit monitoring services. Companies are jumping on the identity theft scare and are convincing people that they need their credit monitored 24 hours a day. You should really only consider one of these services if you’ve already been a victim of ID theft. After all, we can get our credit reports for free these days, so you can “monitor” it yourself. Just remember to mark your calendar to order a report from each of the services every four months. Also, be aware of the sites out there that offer free credit reports. Many of them really just want you to sign up for their costly services in the process. There is only one site that offers free credit reports with no strings attached - annualcreditreport.com. In addition, you may have heard about the security breach at Choicepoint. The company sold information to criminals, who then took over the customers’ identity. Well, Clark recently read a report stating that Choicepoint is now trying to charge customers $25 to see what the criminals saw. He wants to talk to the company about this to see if it’s really true.

We have set a new record when it comes to our use of credit cards. Currently, we have the largest delinquency rates in the history of the credit card business, and the largest amount of personal debt. If you can’t make your credit card payments, it goes without saying that you need to get back on top of it. If you’re not in trouble, but the danger signals are there, Clark has some tips for you. First of all, running balances is okay but it’s not financially healthy. Many of these balances are all about your lifestyle. So, if you’re just able to make the minimum payment, you need to stop using the card. Clark has learned that asking people to cut up their cards doesn’t work. But putting them away – preferably in a freezer bag with water – will stop you from using them. It’s the ease of pulling out the plastic that kills us. And, the key to making bigger and bigger payments is to put yourself on a schedule. Come up with an amount of cash that you will hold onto until the next payday. It’s not enough to talk about the problem. You’ve got to come up with a solution. Take a brown bag to work. Avoid that expensive cup of coffee every day. People can get by on so much less; they just haven’t tried it yet. And, it’s important to start good money management early. According to Newsday, only one in four percent of parents ever discuss money with their children. There is a real disconnect here. Parents lead by example, so your kids will pick up on what you do not what you say.