On MSNBC this morning we discussed an article from The Washington Post that exposes some of the new ways credit card issuers are scrambling to make money. This, in the wake of the Credit CARD Act of 2009, which is clamping down on lenders’ abilities to haphazardly raise interest rates and fees. Altogether, banks stand to lose $12 billion because of the new regulations, which are meant to protect consumers and create more transparency in the credit card industry.

So now, what’s a card issuer to do to make up for the loss? Well, in some cases, they’re going after their squeaky clean (aka “unprofitable”) cardholders, those of us who rarely depend on credit cards, who pay on time and in full, by raising fees.

In fact, a new study released today by the Pew Charitable Trusts, says annual fees and service fees have jumped since last July.  Personally I’ve also heard of  banks or card issuers closing accounts due to “inactivity.”

So what’s a “good” customer to do to avoid fees and keep her credit strong?

Don’t close your accounts in a rage. It’s tempting to want to call it quits when a bank announces it’s raising the annual rate on your credit card, despite being a long-standing, credit-worthy customer. But the danger in closing cards that you’ve had for a long time (say, at least five years) with substantial credit lines (well in the thousands of dollars) is that you wipe the card’s history, activity and credit line from your records. All those variables make up a combined 55% of your credit score. So if you close an account, expect your credit score to take a hit.

Use your cards more frequently. If you don’t use your card at all, you raise the chances of getting slapped with a fee or having  your account shut down altogether.  Keep the account open and use your credit card at least once a week and only for things you know you can reasonably afford to pay back in full at the end of the billing cycle. Even though you don’t get charged interest, the bank makes some money in the form of interchange fees. That’s the fee merchants pay the bank every time you swipe. Tie your credit card to a checking account and pay off the balance automatically.

Weigh the costs versus benefits of rewards cards. Note that while annual fees are on the rise, they’re largely happening on cards that offer benefits and rewards like cash back, miles, points, etc. If you have one of these cards and the bank writes you a letter saying “we’re raising the annual fee,” make sure that you use the card to reap enough in rewards so that you’ll still come out on top.  If you’re in the market for a rewards card, realize these cards are only truly rewarding if you don’t carry a balance and never miss a payment deadline. Otherwise, what you pay in interest, late fees (and in some cases an annual fee) will outweigh any rewards.