8 in 10 voters support consumer watchdog agency: poll

Source
Sylvan Lane | The Hill
“This poll reveals Americans of all ideological stripes support the work of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. People want the CFPB to stop financial discrimination and other unfair practices. Any move to defang this consumer watchdog would be extremely unpopular,” said Charla Rios, deputy director of research at the Center for Responsible Lending (CRL).

Buy now, pay later: How to overspend in the holiday moment

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Susan Tompor | Detroit Free Press
The Center for Responsible Lending studied complaints made by consumers to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and the Better Business Bureau regarding buy now, pay later options. Based on those complaints, some consumers said they had faced delays in receiving refunds, had difficulty resolving disputes and were upset when they still had to make repayments during a dispute process. "They...

Buy Now, Pay Later Often a Debt Trap

Nadine Chabrier, senior policy council at the Center for Responsible Lending, worries about consumers who take out multiple BNPL loans. “It’s easy to lose track, and you can quickly be in a situation where you have payments due all over the month,” Chabier told Checkbook. “You don’t get a statement, and you may end up getting overdraft fees if you...

HBCU grads can face lifelong student debt burdens. Here’s what that looks like in NC

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Hannah Lang | The Charlotte Observer
Whether it’s buying a home, saving for retirement or starting a business, student debt makes it difficult for graduates of historically Black colleges and universities to build wealth after college, a new report shows. The report, from the Durham-based Center for Responsible Lending, evaluated polling, focus group and public education data to gauge the impact of heavy debt burdens —...

What are payday loans and other types of predatory lending?

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Craig Harris | USA Today
The Center for Responsible Lending, a North Carolina-based nonprofit research organization that works to end predatory lending, released a study in late September that examined the "persistent harms of high-cost installment loans," a form of predatory lending that includes "rent-a-bank" loans. The group says it found predatory loans had a greater impact on people of color and people with low...

Buy Now, Pay Later plans are easier than ever to access, but consumer advocates urge caution

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Alexandra Hart | Texas Standard
Nadine Chabrier is senior policy and litigation counsel at the Center for Responsible Lending, and spoke with the Standard about why consumers should use caution when financing with Buy Now, Pay Later. She said that, while the loans aren’t inherently predatory, they can quickly rack up fees if borrowers aren’t careful. Listen to the interview above or read the transcript...

Public opposition of TD-First Horizon deal could prolong closing, analysts say

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Zoe Sagalow, Syed Muhammad Ghaznavi | S & P Global
The CRL is particularly concerned about TD's overdraft practices and is advocating for the bank to change those policies, said Nadine Chabrier, senior policy and litigation counsel at the center. Such a change could be part of a community benefit agreement, but those tend to focus on lending, and the center wants those changes to be made now, she added...

Biden student debt relief executive order a start, but not enough

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Charlene Crowell | The Charlotte Post
Biden’s executive order “will bring wealth-building opportunities to struggling borrowers who have been crippled by student loan debt, especially low-wealth individuals, women and people of color — who were also disproportionately affected by the burdens of an unforgiving public health crisis,” said Jaylon Herbin, outreach associate and policy manager at the Durham-based Center for Responsible Lending.