CFPB overhauls rules for debt collectors as consumer groups balk

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Katy O'Donnell
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau released a highly anticipated proposal on Tuesday to update the rules governing debt collectors, establishing new guidelines on disclosure and the number of times a collector can contact a consumer. The proposed rule, which has been in the works since 2013, drew tepid praise from the industry and condemnation from some consumer advocates. Debt collection...

The Newest Amazon Go Store Is Unlike the Rest in 1 Important Way

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Anna Meyer | Inc.
Normally, Amazon opening up yet another store wouldn't necessarily make headlines. The company has 12 Amazon Go stores, three Amazon 4-Star stores, five Amazon Pop Ups, 19 Amazon Books stores, and four malls "presented" by Amazon. But Tuesday's unveil of its latest "lineless" store in the heart of New York City's financial district is notable because it's the e-commerce giant's...

States and cities are making strident efforts to crack down on for-profit colleges

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Jillian Berman | Market Watch
Over the past several years, debate has raged among policymakers at the federal level about the best way to ensure for-profit colleges provide students with a decent college education, and don’t burden their students with high levels of debt they can’t repay. Toward the end of their tenure, Obama administration officials implemented two rules aimed at cracking down on for-profit...

Plan to forgive public-service workers’ student loans off to rocky start

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Alyssa Klink | Cronkite News
WASHINGTON – The federal government promised college students in 2007 that if they took their degrees and went into a public service profession, they could apply to have whatever student loan debts they still had after 10 years forgiven. So far, the reality has been somewhat different. When the first 29,000 applications were filed with the Department of Education last...

How to Find a Fixed-Rate Credit Card

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Pamela Babcock | US News and World Report
If you carry a balance and can get a low interest rate, you might consider getting a fixed-rate card. But fixed-rate credit cards can be difficult to find and may come with other drawbacks. Here's a look at whether these cards might be a good option for you.

Consumer Financial Protection Bureau moves to limit home loan data

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Aaron Glantz and Emmanuel Martinez | Reveal
Want to know which banks target people of color for loans with high interest rates, steep fees or reverse mortgages? Or which banks deny home loans to African Americans and Latinos even when their income shows they could easily cover the monthly payment? You won’t be able to find out if new regulations proposed by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau...

Like it or not, debt collectors may be texting and emailing you under new rules

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David Lazarus | LA Times
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, under President Trump, already has moved to make life easier for payday lenders. It’s expected any day now to do the same for debt collectors. The bureau will unveil proposed rule changes that are likely to include explicit permission for debt collectors to contact people via text and email (and maybe social media). The new...

America Scores an Average ‘C’ Grade for Financial Literacy Month

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Kate Patrick | Inside Sources
Ten years after the financial crisis and Great Recession, WalletHub measured the financial literacy of each state. The average grade? No higher than a B, with most states falling in the D+ to B- range. The reason? Little to no financial education. “We don’t learn personal finance anywhere in school —some schools have very limited financial education — so for...