YONKERS, NY. — A survey conducted by the Consumer ReportsNational Research Center, a research arm of the Consumer Reportsmagazine, has found that cardholders surveyed ranked credit unionsas among the best credit card issuers.

The survey covered 36,298 reader's experiences with 61,944cards. More CR readers who used those banks' cards complained thatthey were assessed unfair late fees or experienced unexpectedinterest-rate increases than readers who held cards from thetop-rated issuers. It found that consumers had far fewer billingheadaches and other problems with the card issuers at the top ofthe ratings, the magazine said.

The card issuers that scored especially high in the ratings–USAAFederal Savings (an association limited to members of the military,retired military personnel and their families), the Navy FederalCredit Union, and a group of other credit unions–also chargedmedian interest rates between 9 and 11%, compared with the 17%imposed by the two issuers at the bottom of the ratings: DirectMerchants and Providian (now offered by Washington Mutual).