“Like a Credit Card With That Roth Conversion?”

Banks market wealth management to the Haves. Banks market credit cards to the Have Nots. Until now.

Starting today, new rules require banks to make certain credit card fees more visible and limit the imposition of others. The credit card industry could lose $12 billion or more in annual revenue, according to an estimate in this WSJ story.

Result, according to The New York Times: a new push to market credit cards to the Haves. The new target market will be big spenders who pay their bills on time – affluents who are willing to pay for rewards programs, concierge service or other perks.

At best, this marketing turnabout suggests new opportunities for selling both cards and investment services to the affluent.

At worst, banks could alienate present and prospective investment customers by going upmarket with what has become a customer-unfriendly financial product. "You're going to see a lot more tricks in terms of fees," Robert Manning, author of "Credit Card Nation," told the WSJ.

Let's hope for the best.