Why Do So Many Credit Card Companies Have a Wilmington, Delaware Address?
Wilmington, Delaware experienced the loss of many jobs after World War II, mostly due to it becoming less utilized as a shipping location. To address this matter, the state legislators sought a way to bring new business into the state, starting in the late 1970s. Led primarily by the Governor Pierre DuPont, in the early 1980s, Delaware attempted to lure large banks away from New York and other large financial companies by dramatically redrafting tax laws for banking industries. Laws also changed to allow banks to charge any interest they wished on credit cards. Several banks, among them Bank of America and Chase, were inspired by Wilmington’s flexible laws to relocate at least their credit card companies to Wilmington. The ability to charge more interest meant that they could offer credit to less credit-worthy customers. Though big banks moved their credit card companies, the response was even greater than DuPont at first estimated. Many smaller banks also set up shop in Wilmington, to
