Opinion on  Capital One Financial Corp. (COF)     Sector: Financial  >  Industry: Regional Banks
Is Cap One really good in analytics and Target Marketing?

Credit card issuers and specialist providers have to live with reduced incomes per card account. A very simple way to control the related company level portfolio would be to manage defaults and thus manage the card application process so that the same results in a significant reduction in operational losses. Today COF defaults worldwide are increasing and those in the US are well in Double digits. This signifies that there has been a short term deterioration in credit quality because of the market and there is a residual weakness in credit issuance that needs to be addressed. The new CARD Act of 2009 does not allow much leeway in its terms and conditions and the spirit of the legislation is very clear in direction. The interest is capped at 18%, rate changes have to be notified and rate offers and fees have to be reasonable and valid for a minimum period of six months These are not reductions in income esp to a quality issuer like COF except in low quality, high default grade cards Capital One and MBNA (HSBC ) have to live with the new law and provide better operational control and leadership without blanket provisions and blind unsupervised issuance or charges Unsecured loas need to get back to a place where industry accepts ABS paper and liquidity is restored. Government has set the right ground rules.

New government restrictions on credit card issuers may force Capital One Financial, which revolutionized the credit card industry through customized marketing and granular data research, to reinvent itself for a new age of regulation. Capital One is not alone. The Credit Card Accountability, Responsibility and Disclosure (CARD) Act of 2009 will restrict many industry practices when it takes effect next year, and some companies could face a rough transition, analysts said. The legislation, for instance, will require Capital One and other lenders to take new steps to ensure that customers know what fees they will pay if they exceed the limits on their credit cards. This could hurt Capital One's business, because it relies more than most other issuers on late fees for revenue. But the legislation could help Capital One by placing new limits on "teaser rates" and deals on balance transfers, which are used more widely by Capital One's competitors. The restrictions could help level the playing field for recruiting new customers. Capital One Chairman Richard D. Fairbank told analysts recently that the new law could jolt the industry at a vulnerable time, particularly if the nation is still in a recession when it takes effect. "We've driven industry reinvention before," Fairbank told analysts. "The transition will be rough, and we may face a particular sour spot beginning in the second quarter of 2010. But in the long run, I believe that we'll be in a very strong position to drive industry reinvention and thrive in the new credit card industry." McLean-based Capital One, founded in 1988 by Fairbank and business partner Nigel Morris, helped drive a credit card boom over the past 20 years through innovations like direct-mail solicitation, using sophisticated computer programs to micro-target potential customer groups. The techniques, some of which reached people with poor credit, allowed Capital One to customize interest rates and card fees based on a cardholder's behavior rather than applying a one-size-fits-all approach. www.washingtonpost.com