The brief article didn't say they had to talk to you on your cell phone - only that they had to call and get a response from you. I'd suspect that an automated system could ring the phone and a recorded message could tell you to enter your "other password," or give you a random number to punch in just to prove you were a real person. Since all newer US cell phones now have GPS features that the "emergency response" people can read, they will be able to tell where you are, so call-forwarding the callback to Afghanistan might not work.

gnu -

I'll go one step further on your simplicity. The only credit card I (very rarely) use gets paid automatically by the bank, since I've had one card that sent their statements so late that I couldn't pay on time and then tried to jack my rate up based on my "late payments." With the new bankruptcy laws, you can't default on credit card debts, and they can raise your rate at will just by being inefficient.

I've seen increasing "late fees" and decreasing time to pay even on utility bills over the past year. When you get the bill 23 days after the close of the billing cycle, and the payment's due 10 days before the close of the next cycle it's a very small window to get the payments in on time. (Actual numbers from my most recent gas bill.)

The consumer, and Joe & Jill Citizen are not the ones whose convenience and safety are at the root of proposals like the ones in the report. (I think.)

But I'm sure they have a way to claim it's for our protection.

John