Press Releases

WASHINGTON, D.C. – A breaking news report from The New York Times exposes even more racially derogatory remarks from Eric Blankenstein, a Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) political appointee handpicked by President Trump and CFPB head Mick Mulvaney to oversee supervision, enforcement, and fair lending. Mr. Blankenstein’s comments are dismissive of racism and show that he is unfit to oversee the agency’s policing of discrimination. The Center for Responsible Lending’s Senior Legislative Counsel Yana Miles issued the following statement: Mr. Blankenstein must be removed from his post

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today Congresswoman Maxine Waters (D-Calif.), the Ranking Member of the House Committee on Financial Services introduced a bill to reverse the Trump Administration’s anti-consumer agenda. The Consumers First Act, ( H.R. 6972) proposes legislative remedies to restore to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB): Full supervisory and enforcement powers in the Bureau’s fair lending office; Prior interagency agreements that promote effective coordination among governmental offices; Adequate CFPB staffing in its enforcement and supervisory positions to effectively hold

Center for Responsible Lending warns policymakers against giving companies a “Get Out of Jail Free” card WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today at approximately 9 a.m. ET, the Center for Responsible Lending’s (CRL) Director of Federal Advocacy, Scott Astrada, will testify before the House Financial Services Committee’s Financial Institutions and Consumer Credit Subcommittee for a hearing entitled: Examining Opportunities for Financial Markets in the Digital Era. In the hearing, the committee and its witnesses will discuss a recent U.S. Department of Treasury report on financial technology (fintech), which

WASHINGTON, D.C. – On Friday, September 28, at approximately 9 a.m. ET, the Center for Responsible Lending’s (CRL) Director of Federal Advocacy, Scott Astrada, will testify before the House Financial Services Committee’s Financial Institutions and Consumer Credit Subcommittee for a hearing entitled: Examining Opportunities for Financial Markets in the Digital Era. In the hearing, the committee and its witnesses will discuss a recent U.S. Department of Treasury report on financial technology (fintech), which was released in July. CRL has heavily criticized the Treasury report because of its

OAKLAND, CALIF. – California Governor Jerry Brown has signed into law SB 818, a bill to restore key provisions in California’s landmark “Homeowner’s Bill of Rights” (HBOR) legislation which passed in 2012 in response to the foreclosure crisis. HBOR has prevented thousands of avoidable foreclosures by requiring mortgage loan servicers to engage in timely, fair and transparent process with struggling homeowners before proceeding to foreclosure. The bill’s sponsor is Senator Jim Beall (D-San Jose), who introduced the bill after concerns that HBOR has been weakened by the 2017 legislative sunsets

WASHINGTON, D.C. – On Monday September 10, 2018, the national Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law (Lawyers’ Committee), the Center for Responsible Lending (CRL), and the National Student Legal Defense Network (NSLDN) filed a brief in the D.C. District Court to advocate on behalf of D.C. in a lawsuit challenging the District’s right to pass laws that better protect residents against the problematic practices of servicing companies that manage student loan repayment. The brief filed in Student Loan Servicing Alliance v. Taylor, et al. urges the court to reject the plaintiff loan

WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Bank recently rolled out its online Simple Loan product where borrowers can take out loans of $100 to $1,000. The borrower would be required to pay the loan back over three monthly installment payments with an annual percentage rate (APR) of 70% to 88%, well over the 36% APR cap that consumer advocates and civil rights organizations recommend. The 36% finds precedent in the Military Lending Act for loans to military servicemembers and in many state laws. This product marks the first major rollout of a new national bank installment loan product since the OCC’s

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today before a U.S. House Financial Services Committee hearing on reforms to the housing finance system and the future of Government-Sponsored Enterprises (GSEs), the Center for Responsible Lending (CRL) presented testimony that called for a trio of components to be preserved and strengthened. Together these principles will build upon housing reforms that have already occurred, while also bolstering the current ‘duty-to serve’ mandate: Broad access to all credit-worthy borrowers; Inclusion of small financial institutions such as community banks and credit unions; Affirmative

OAKLAND, CALIF. – The Center for Responsible Lending (CRL) is calling on California Governor Jerry Brown to veto AB 237, a bill which would expand unsound lending practices in ways that do not address the real needs of low income and underserved communities. In fact, the changes proposed in this bill put consumers at risk of unaffordable and even predatory loans of more than 100% annual percentage rate (APR). The bill would raise the loan limits so that lenders under an existing pilot program can make larger loans, up to $7,500 without addressing ongoing concerns about high costs and has weak

Report from Center for Responsible Lending exposes hardships faced by students of for-profit colleges that exploit a weak regulatory system DURHAM, N.C. -- For-profit colleges in Florida prey on economically vulnerable students, enticing them to enroll in poor quality programs with promises of good-paying jobs upon completion, but little real opportunity for career advancement. A new report by Center for Responsible Lending (CRL), based on focus groups and surveys of former students, demonstrates that for-profit colleges target vulnerable communities through intense advertising and