Observers worry that the varied reasons that rates can increase, sometimes by a factor of two or three, are not made clear when the consumer applies for the card, starts to use it, or builds up a substantial balance.
In individual countries, the imbalances between their real and financial economies, and between their manufacturing and service sectors, need to be corrected, while they must also work to reduce their debts and the disparities between income classes within their populations. To secure the impetus for sustainable growth, countries will also need to work together and combine their wisdom.