Alan S. Kaplinsky, chair of Ballard Spahr's Consumer Financial Services Group, joins a number of other recognized authorities on consumer finance law in analyzing the impact of the National Arbitration Forum's announcement that it will stop handling consumer credit arbitration disputes as part of a settlement with Minnesota Attorney General Lori Swanson. Mr. Kaplinsky says NAF's decision is "going to make it a lot more expensive, particularly for card issuers who are using arbitration to collect debts" and adds that recently increased regulations further the industry's troubles. "Whenever there's additional regulation, there's going to be an increase in litigation, and if arbitration is not available as a way to resolve that litigation, it's going to mean that their costs are going to go up and a lot of those costs are going to get passed along to consumers."