First off, jacking up the rate because of late payments is nothing new. Most credit card companies have that policy. I don't quite understand why such a big deal is being made of it in this lawsuit. "Fixed-Rate" cards are simply cards that will have one interest rate for as long as the card-holder doesn't somehow screw up. As opposed to "Introductory-Rate" cards that have a low rate for 6 months or a year, then a higher rate. Unless there is something more to this story than is being mentioned in that article, the Capitol One hasn't done anything wrong; at least not with regards to its interest rates.
As for how to get out of debt. Try getting a new card with a low rate and transferring the entire balance of your old card to the new one. Short-term this isn't a whole lot of help, but it will save you some cash in the long run. Oh and be sure to pay your bill on time, otherwise you'll find yourself right back where you started.
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Truth cares not for knowledge.
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