Strong Bipartisan Support for 36% Payday Lending Cap by South Dakota Voters Should Encourage Reform Across Nation

On November 8, 75% of South Dakota voters approved reducing the cost of payday loans from 574% to 36% annually. At the same time, a significant majority of South Dakotans rejected the payday lenders' proposal to allow permanent unlimited rates. The rate cap ballot measure approved by South Dakota voters will cap the annual interest rates at 36% for payday, car title, and installment loans. The voters' decision aligns South Dakota with protections already in place for active-duty military nationwide, and makes South Dakota the 15th state to prevent the harms of high-cost debt trap loans. Center

CRL Statement On Department Of Education's Action To Protect Students Against Misleading, Predatory Practices

Today, the U.S. Department of Education announced final regulations amending the Borrower Defense to Repayment provision of the Higher Education Act (HEA) to ensure that students and taxpayers do not have to bear the financial burdens that arise when predatory higher learning institutions make misrepresentations and fail to provide students with an adequate education. These kinds of bad practices severely limit students’ professional outcomes and ability to repay their loans. The Center for Responsible Lending (CRL) is particularly concerned about the impact of these practices on borrowers of

Civil Rights Groups: Court Is Wrong To Weaken CFPB

If the PHH vs. CFPB Decision Stands It Would Undermine Consumer Protection Agency, Stifle Effort To Curb Predatory Lending Today, in a 2-1 ruling led by Judge Brett Kavanaugh, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit ruled against the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s (CFPB) enforcement order in PHH Corporation vs. CFPB. In its decision, the court held that the CFPB’s current single-director structure is unconstitutional. More specifically, the court found that the President must be able to remove the CFPB Director without cause. This flies in the face of long

California Lawmakers, Attorney General Are Right To Call On CFPB For Stronger Payday Lending Rule

The Center for Responsible Lending (CRL) and California Reinvestment Coalition (CRC) lauded California members of the U.S. Senate, U.S. House of Representatives, California State Legislature, city and county officials, and California Attorney General Kamala Harris for sending official statements to the Consumer Financial Protection (CFPB) calling on the agency to strengthen its proposed rule on payday and car title lending. The California lawmakers and attorney general highlighted that the proposed rule is a step in the right direction, but underscored that more needs to be done to ensure that

National Consumer and Civil Rights Organizations Make Final Push Urging CFPB to Strengthen Payday and Car Title Lending Rule, Close Harmful Loopholes

Rule Should Protect Families From Debt Traps, Close Off Paths to Evasion for Predatory Payday Lenders Today, the Center for Responsible Lending (CRL), the Consumer Federation of America (CFA), and the National Consumer Law Center (NCLC) (on behalf of its low income clients), with support from seven national consumer and civil rights organizations, is sending the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) a joint comment urging the CFPB to strengthen its proposed rule on payday and car title lending. The organizations’ comment reflects the decades of research and work these groups have done to

CFPB Rule On Prepaid Cards Will Benefit Families

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) finalized their rule this week to make prepaid cards safer. The rule includes many important provisions, such as requiring that the Electronic Funds Transfer Act protections apply to error resolutions, lost cards, and unauthorized transactions, and the rule finalizes a new "Know Before You Owe" disclosures for prepaid accounts to give consumers clear, upfront information about fees and other key details. Though the rule includes valuable improvements to protect users who borrow beyond the balance of their card--such as requiring prepaid companies

New HMDA Data Shows Mortgage Market Continues to Exclude Consumers of Color and Low-Wealth Families

Today, the Center for Responsible Lending (CRL) released a policy analysis based on new mortgage data collected under the Home Mortgage Disclosure Act (HMDA). The data, which covers nearly all mortgages made in the United States in 2015, revealed that access to mortgage credit remains out of reach for many consumers of color. Despite fair lending laws and mortgage rules, Hispanic and African-American consumers received a small percentage of the mortgages made in 2015 and remain disproportionately reliant upon government-backed mortgages that come with high rates and fees. Very few conventional

Widowed Spouses, Bereaved Heirs Now Protected Under Homeowner Survivor Bill of Rights

New Law Helps Prevent Unnecessary Foreclosures Today, the Center for Responsible Lending (CRL) applauded California Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr. for signing into law SB 1150, the Homeowner Survivor Bill of Rights, a bill to protect widowed spouses and other heirs from unnecessary foreclosures. Through the legislation, when the sole borrower listed on a mortgage passes away, it entitles widows, widowers, domestic partners, heirs, siblings, and other survivors to information and communication from the mortgage servicer, and it provides them the right to seek a loan assumption and modification if

TitleMax Deserves Fine for Abusive Practices

On September 26, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) levied a $9 million fine against TitleMax parent company TMX Finance LLC for failure to tell consumers the terms and costs of auto-title loans sold over a 5-year period, beginning in 2011. The lender was also charged with illegally exposing consumers' personal information to their employers and references. Offering auto-title and personal loans at 1,300 stores in 18 states, TMX is barred from making in-person visits to collect debts and encouraging customers to take longer time to pay a 30-day loan. CRL's Delvin Davis, a senior

Education Department Is Right to End ACICS Federal Sanction

The Center for Responsible Lending (CRL) lauds the U.S. Department of Education’s decision to terminate federal recognition of the Accrediting Council for Independent Colleges and Schools (ACICS). This action will prevent schools accredited by ACICS from participating in federal financial aid programs. Approximately 550,000 students are currently enrolled in schools accredited by ACICS. Many of these students are enrolled at for-profit colleges and universities. Two for-profit institutions, Corinthian Colleges and ITT Technical Education Services were both closed as a result of weak