Press Releases

DURHAM, NC – Governor Tim Walz signed into law last week a measure capping annual interest rates on payday loans at 36% in Minnesota, with strict limitations on loans bearing annual rates from 37% to 50%. Payday loans above 50% will be outlawed. The measure is expected to stop predatory payday lending as Minnesotans know it, eliminating loans that carry...

Washington, D.C.– The Center for Responsible Lending (CRL) noted that a debt ceiling bill which resumes student debt payments – on a shorter timeline than previously announced – creates a repayment burden that reduces the economic security of working Americans still struggling to recover from the negative effects of the pandemic and rising inflation. View CRL’s letter to Congress. “Restarting...

Washington, D.C.– The House is expected to vote today on a resolution under the Congressional Review Act (CRA) to repeal President Biden's student debt relief plan, end the current loan payment suspension and require retroactive student loan payments from borrowers, including waived interest. In addition, using the CRA – a tool that allows Congress to reverse final rules issued by...

Proposed rule would require lenders to comply with California law, but triple-digit interest rates could remain OAKLAND, CA – Consumer advocates praised the California Department of Financial Protection and Innovation (DFPI) for requiring fintech cash advances to comply with the laws that govern other forms of credit and for cracking down on “tips” used to disguise interest. The groups voiced...

Such an unprecedented ruling would harm financial institutions, especially smaller entities, and consumers as well as imperil the Federal Reserve and Medicare WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Supreme Court would roil financial markets if it adopted an unprecedented lower court ruling warn several small financial institutions in an amicus brief for Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) v. Community Financial Services Association...

CRL urges bank to address concerns raised in merger review WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, TD Bank and First Horizon Bank announced the termination of their merger agreement, citing uncertainty about the timetable to obtain regulatory approvals. The Center for Responsible Lending (CRL) along with civil rights and consumer group partners had urged the Federal Reserve and the Office of the...

Pricing Framework is an Important Initial Step in the Right Direction to Advance Fair and Affordable Housing and Strengthen Communities WASHINGTON, D.C. – Leading civil rights and housing policy organizations issued the following statement supporting the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA)’s pricing framework: We commend Director Thompson and FHFA for recent updates to the mortgage pricing framework that represent a...

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Starting today at 10 AM ET, the U.S. House Committee on Financial Services will hold a markup and vote on several pieces of legislation, including a wide-ranging bill that would undermine the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) and support predatory lenders. A diverse coalition of over 70 organizations wrote a letter to Members of the Committee, urging...

WASHINGTON, DC – The Center for Responsible Lending (CRL) today released the latest installment of its “In Focus” video series, calling for updated federal laws to prevent families from falling into poverty due to excessive wage seizures by employers. CRL advocates for the federal government to protect $12,000 in bank accounts and an associated $1,000 per week in wages from...

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) yesterday announced it would appeal to the Seventh Circuit a U.S. District Judge’s February ruling that dismissed the agency’s suit against Townstone Financial, Inc., a Chicago-area nonbank mortgage lender that the agency alleges violated the Equal Credit Opportunity Act (ECOA) and the Consumer Financial Protection Act. CFPB alleged that Townstone Financial...