Capital One CEO Says Capping Card Rates Threatens Recession

Jan. 22, 2026, 11:22 PM UTC

Capping credit-card interest rates as President Donald Trump has demanded could tip the US economy into a recession, according to Capital One Financial Corp.’s leader.

“Putting a price control in place, such as the proposed rate cap, would not make credit more affordable — it would make credit much less available for consumers up and down the credit spectrum,” Chief Executive Officer Richard Fairbank said Thursday.

Trump, zeroing in on borrowing rates and other “affordability” issues ahead of this year’s midterm elections, has called for a 10% cap on credit cards for one year. That drew pushback from the ...

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