More than half of credit-card holders have been hit recently with sharply higher interest rates, or other fees and penalties, according to a just-released survey by the Consumer Reports National Research Center. Card companies are slipping through all kinds of changes before a new federal law takes effect in February 2010.

The survey found a high rate of credit-card complaints:

• 14 percent had their credit limits lowered recently.
• 29 percent were hit with new fees or penalties.
• 38 percent said their interest rates had been hiked.

The survey also found that fewer people are satisfied with credit-card companies than with almost any other service Consumer Reports has assessed. Calling up and complaining can be very effective. According to Consumer Reports' survey, about half of the time people got at least some of what they wanted. If negotiating doesn't work, look for a card with better terms.

Consumer Reports says you can often find better credit cards from professional organizations, such as teachers' associations, from community and regional banks, and from credit unions. It's easier to join a credit union than it used to be. A good place to find one is at CUlookup.com.

There are now often one-time fees on balance transfers, so before you switch to a new card make sure you check that. And also check whether the new card carries an annual fee. That kind of charge is making an unwelcome comeback.

For more valuable credit-card information, go to www.consumerreports.org/cro/magazine-archive/november-2009/money/credit-cards/overview/index.htm.