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Credit card delinquency rates fell at major U.S. lenders in November as fewer consumers fell behind on their bill payments, signaling they are recovering from the stress of the financial crisis.

The bankruptcy trustee for Scott Rothstein's defunct law firm has reached a tentative settlement with American Express, the card that was used to fuel Rothstein's and his wife's luxurious lifestyle, that will help the victims of the high-profile lawyer's $1.2 billion Ponzi scheme recoup some of their losses.

Fewer Americans fell behind on their credit card payments than expected in July, as consumers coped better with their debt, but the drop in delinquencies to their lowest levels so far this year doesn't suggest a recovery in spending, analysts said.

Fewer Americans fell behind on their credit card payments in July, major credit card lenders said, bringing delinquencies to their lowest levels so far this year.

American International Group Inc named director Robert Steve Miller as its new chairman, replacing Harvey Golub who resigned after clashing with Chief Executive Robert Benmosche over the botched sale of the insurer's Asian life unit.

Linda Stern is a freelance writer. Any opinions in the column are hers. You can follow Linda Stern's financial notes on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/lindastern

Fewer Americans fell behind on their credit card bills in May, signaling that consumers are closer to getting their debt levels under control even if the economy remains sluggish.

Credit card delinquencies fell again at major lenders in May as more consumers managed to pay their bills despite a sluggish economic recovery.

U.S. credit card delinquencies fell for the fourth straight month in April, the latest indicator that Americans are recovering from the worst economic downturn since the Great Depression.

New orders for durable U.S. manufactured goods excluding transportation posted the largest gain in over two years in March while home sales hit an eight-month high, hinting at a pick-up in the pace of growth.

American Express Co sounded optimistic about future client spending, even as Capital One Financial Corp cautioned that its customers are not borrowing as much as they used to.

When the Twin Towers fell on 9/11, the offices of American Express marketers Peggy McHale and Sandi Webster were right across the street.

Capital One Financial Corp's U.S. credit-card defaults rose in March in a sign that consumers may still be under stress.

Bets on U.S. credit card companies may fetch gains for investors as the firms are set to benefit from the economic recovery, a fund manager with Invesco Aim said.

Credit card delinquency rates improved at JPMorgan Chase & Co and a majority of others -- a sign the lenders still face hurdles in the wake of the deep recession.

Credit card delinquency rates slipped or held firm at most major U.S. lenders last month, showing fewer Americans are falling behind on bills, and providing some evidence that the worst of consumers' stress may be over.

Credit card delinquency rates slipped or held firm at five major U.S. lenders last month, showing fewer Americans are falling behind on bills and suggesting the worst of consumers' stress may be over.

The Obama administration heralded new rules protecting U.S. credit card holders from certain fees and rate increases on Monday, even as Connecticut's Attorney General criticized the Federal Reserve for not using the rules to reverse earlier card rate hikes.

The percentage of Americans falling behind on credit card bills stabilized in January, according to data from the six major lenders, signaling that U.S. consumer credit woes may be leveling off.

The percentage of Americans falling behind on credit card bills stabilized in January, according to data from five lenders on Tuesday, signaling that U.S. consumer credit woes may be leveling off.

American Express Co raised Chief Executive Kenneth Chenault's base pay by 60 percent to $2 million for 2010, in the latest instance of Wall Street firms boosting regular executive compensation while cutting bonuses.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average managed to gain 27.36 points, or 0.27 percent at 11:10 a.m. ET, as several of its components made big gains. The stocks that lifted the index into positive territory include Travelers (NYSE:TRV), Alcoa (NYSE:AA), Wal-Mart (NYSE:WMT), and American Express (NYSE:AXP).

American Express Co and Capital One Financial Corp both reported better than forecast fourth quarter earnings, but expressed concern about the growth outlook for credit cards.

American Express Co posted much higher fourth quarter earnings, beating forecasts, helped by rising consumer spending and lower credit losses.

American Express Co posted much higher fourth quarter profit, helped by rising consumer spending and lower credit losses.

U.S. credit card data for December showed some signs that fewer consumers were falling seriously behind in their payments.

Bank of America Corp and Capital One Financial Corp reported jumps in U.S. credit card charge-offs for December, suggesting consumers were stressed through the holiday shopping season.

New legislation may have a much more dire effect on credit card lenders' earnings than analysts had expected, and 2010 could be a brutal year for the companies.

Capital One Financial Corp and Discover Financial Services reported that credit-card charge-offs rose in November -- a sign that consumers remain under stress.