Capital One Urges Consumers to 'Be Informed' About Their Finances During National Consumer Protection Week

Business Wire, Feb 5, 2007

Capital One's Financial Education Program Offers Advice on Evaluating Credit Card Offers

MCLEAN, Va. -- Capital One (NYSE: COF) joins a group of government agencies and national advocacy organizations in support of the ninth annual National Consumer Protection Week (NCPW), February 4-10, 2007. This year's efforts focus on encouraging consumers to "Read Up, Reach Out, and Be Informed." An important part of being an informed financial consumer is making sure you understand your credit card terms. In support of Consumer Protection Week, Capital One offers practical guidance and tips consumers can use to educate themselves.

"This year's theme, 'Be An Informed Consumer,' speaks directly to financial information and education," said Diana Don, director of financial education for Capital One. "Comparing and understanding credit card terms and disclosures is an important part of being informed and helps consumers make smart financial decisions. We're proud to join the FTC and other organizations involved in this effort to encourage consumers to 'Read Up, Reach Out, and Be Informed.'"

Capital One offers tools to help consumers better evaluate its credit card marketing solicitations. The Fact Pact, included in all Capital One mail offers, is designed to clearly outline the most important terms in the offer - such as information about annual percentage rates (APRs), credit terms, and membership and other associated fees.

In addition, Capital One offers these simple steps consumers can take to help them understand and evaluate credit card offers in general:

-- Comparison shop: comparison shop for the best credit card deals.
   Put your credit card offers side-by-side so you can look at the
   Schumer Box on each and do an apples-to-apples comparison. Some
   companies like Capital One break out the most important information
   into an easy to understand chart - so that card holders know
   exactly how their actions can affect their APRs.

-- Don't accept a credit card offer based solely on the interest rate
   offered: It could have other terms or drawbacks that make it less
   attractive.

-- Review existing credit card account(s) to determine your:

    -- Credit limits

    -- Annual percentage rates (APR)

    -- Grace periods

    -- Basic fees or finance charges

-- Go online for answers: Make sure you understand the terms of your
   credit card accounts or offers. If you don't, check out
   www.capitalone.com/financialeducation for explanations of basic
   terms and tips for good credit management.

"Our goal is to provide consumers with clear information about the products and services we offer," adds Don. "We want to help consumers become better informed, and give them the tools they need to evaluate and compare the various credit card marketing offers they receive."

For more information and protection tips, consumers can visit www.capitalone.com/financialeducation.> About Capital One

Headquartered in McLean, Virginia, Capital One Financial Corporation (www.capitalone.com) is a financial holding company with more than 700 locations in New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Texas and Louisiana, that offers a broad spectrum of financial products and services to consumers, small businesses and commercial clients. Its principal subsidiaries, Capital One Bank, Capital One, F.S.B., Capital One Auto Finance, Inc., Capital One, N.A., and North Fork Bank collectively had $85.8 billion in deposits and $146.2 billion in managed loans outstanding as of December 31, 2006. Capital One, a Fortune 500 company, trades on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol "COF" and is included in the S&P 100 index.