State of Lending: Auto Loans Chapter

Purchasing a car is a complicated endeavor, and the sales price, trade-in value, and financing are all separate and negotiable transactions. This chapter outlines how car dealers have become increasingly reliant on revenues from vehicle financing and insurance, yet those transactions are not transparent and are weakly regulated. As a result, predatory practices have created more expensive and unsustainable loans...

The State of Lending: Credit Cards

Credit cards are one of the most common purchasing tools used by Americans, and total U.S. credit card debt has increased $172 billion since 2000. This doesn't mean Americans are living beyond their means--a recent study found that many low- and middle-income households rely on credit cards to pay for basic living costs or weather medical expenses and unemployment. In...

State of Lending: Credit Cards Chapter

Credit cards are one of the most common purchasing tools used by Americans, with many households relying on credit cards to pay for basic living costs. In the past, credit card companies took advantage of this reliance by engaging in unfair and deceptive practices such as complicated pricing and high fees. This chapter describes these abusive practices and the reforms...

State of Lending: America's Household Balance Sheet Chapter

This chapter in the State of Lending report series presents a picture of the overall financial status of U.S. consumers today. It is based on data from the Consumer Expenditure survey, the Survey of Consumer Finances, and other national data sources. These sources reveal that, since 2000, American families have faced declining real incomes,a higher cost of living, greater debt...

Federal versus Private Student Loans [Infographic]

Student loans can help you pay for college, but they're not all alike. This infographic shows the different features of federal vs. private loans. Read the Chapter To embed our infographic to your site, simply cut and paste the code below http://qa.crl.w.lmdagency.net/state-lending/student-loans" data-mce-href="http://www.responsiblelending.org/state-of-lending/student-loans/federa…"><img alt="Federal vs. Private Student Loans - Infographic" src="http://www.responsiblelending.org/state-of-lending/images/student-loan-… " title="Federal vs. Private Student Loans - Infographic"...