Credit card companies have found ways to stack the deck in their favor with the credit card agreements.  Most of us don't recognize what we give up and what we agree to in these one-sided contracts.    Most of us think credit cards are a necessity.  The problem is that while we are convinced we can't live without them, the credit card companies have legally gouged us with high fees, unconscionable interest rates, and stripped away constitutional rights.

You have to read the fine print, and find a consumer advocate lawyer that can interpret it for you.  Just some of the things you'll find in that agreement were outlined in an article from Bankrate.com

1.  Universal Default penalties which are triggered by a simple drop in your FICO score.  Something which you don't really have control.

2.  Bait-and-switch card offers in the mail that promise 0% interest rates, while in the fine print the company mentions all the things it can do to invalidate that promise.

3.  Shrinking grace periods which most people believe are 30 days, now average 23 days, and some cards have no grace period.  This tricks cardholders into accidental default, and triggers high interest rates and fees.

4.  Two-Cycle billing where the interest is calculated on the two previous month's balances.  You get to pay interest twice on the same balance.

5.  Inactivity charges for not using your card.

6.  Late payment fees, which are skyrocketing.  Once you have a late payment, by even one hour, you get slapped with a fee as high as $39, not to mention that your interest rate will go up.

7.  Over-limit fees are charged, even if the interest they charge or another fee they slap you with takes you over the limit.

8.  Balance Transfer fees are charged when you transfer your balances to the zero interest account you just opened.  So they in effect get their interest rate anyway.

9.  Mandatory arbitration waives your constitutional right to take a dispute to a court of law where you can request a jury trial if necessary.  Often these clauses also include barring you from participating in a class action suit.  A clever way to keep you from holding them accountable to the law.  While these clauses can be challenged in court, you are up against the highest paid attorneys in the country who make it their life's mission to give their employers (credit card companies) the greatest advantages possible.

10.  If you use cash advances or use some other charge outside the promotional rate, your payments will be allocated to pay off the lowest interest rate first, regardless of the timing of those charges.  So the higher interest rate has more time to accumulate compound interest.