Regulators Nix Credit Card Debt Forgiveness Plan

WASHINGTON (AP) - Federal bank regulators have rejected a request by banks and consumer advocates for a program to let lenders forgive huge portions of credit card debt.

A Treasury Department agency rejected the request for a special program that would allow as much as 40 percent of credit card debt to be forgiven for consumers who don’t qualify for existing repayment plans.

An agency official says it objects to allowing banks to defer tax losses for several years on the forgiven debt, as would occur under the special program.

(Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press.  All Rights Reserved.)