Housewives fight legislation that stops them from having a credit card

By Raphael Michilis

A group of discontent housewives started an online petition to fight the Credit CARD Act of 2009.

The group complains that the regulation prevents them from getting a credit card without her husband’s permission as they do not have proof of income.

“This is despite the fact that I make 95% of our household purchases, have an impeccable credit score and handle the majority of my family’s finances,” complains Holly McCall, author of the petition hosted at www.change.org.

“The new rules send a message that stay-at-home parents are not as credit-worthy as young adults still in school without their own income.” reads the petition about the .

The petition initiated in partnership with the online mother’s group momsrising.com appeals for the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) to fix the stay-at-home moms credit problem.

Meant to curb irresponsible lending and misleading credit card practices, the law denies credit to stay-at-home moms who say the Act sets women back half a century. "It is demeaning," said Holly McCall.


"This doesn't just affect stay-at-home mothers. What about the stay-at-home fathers whose wives work instead of them? And don't tell me that doesn't happen. It does. The longer this law stays unchanged the more people that are going to get hurt," protested Christian Ramage, who signed the online petition.

The Credit Union Times (CUT) newspaper reported on May 18 that Richard Cordray Director of the CFPB met McCall and received from her the petition, that - according to its profile at change.org - has reached 34,795 online signatures to date.

"As we've said previously, we are working to understand how the rule may be affecting stay-at-home spouses," said a CFPB spokesperson to the Huffington Post.

Cordray discussed the matter with Holly McCall and promised to come up with a response to her petition within 30 days from their meeting.