Research

Over the past 50 years, wage stagnation, as well as already high and rising housing, health care, and education costs have dramatically increased debt loads for the average family. Moreover, recovery from the Great Recession has been uneven. Data show that families of color, Americans born after 1970, and households earning less than $60,000 annually are the least likely to...

Ten years after passage of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, with the country again facing an economic crisis, new polling data from Lake Research Partners, commissioned by the Center for Responsible Lending and Americans for Financial Reform shows that voters across all political parties are broadly and intensely supportive of strong consumer financial protections and of...

This study (published in the March-April edition of the Journal of Economics and Business) examines whether borrowers’ race and ethnicity affect subprime loan pricing after accounting for objective determinants, including credit scores and loan-to-value ratios. The results show that African-American and Latino borrowers are more likely to receive higher-rate subprime home loans than non-Latino white borrowers. The authors are Debbie...

A review of 2019 data shows that big banks continue to collect over $11 billion in overdraft related fees each year. Banks engage in a number of abusive practices that combine to drain massive sums from their customers’ checking accounts. The large majority of these fees are shouldered by banks’ most vulnerable customers, often driving them out of the banking...

A majority of Americans across all regions of the US support permanently reducing student loan debt by $20,000 for all borrowers, according to a new bipartisan poll by Lake Research Partners and Chesapeake Beach Consulting. Download the poll results Download the top lines

Americans of all partisan identities,and across all regions of the United States,strongly support enacting new consumer protections on high-interest lending during the coronavirus crisis. Americans are highly supportive of prohibiting all high-interest loans during the crisis and of capping interest rates for consumer loans, according to a new bipartisan poll from Lake Research Partners and Chesapeake Beach Consulting. Download the...

Morning Consult conducted a survey, commissioned by Center for Responsible Lending, of approximately 10,000 registered voters. The results are presented in categories as short Powerpoint-style slide decks with key takeaways, charts, and maps. Dangers of Rent-a-Bank Schemes Bipartisan Support for Stopping Predatory High-Interest Loans Broad Support for Interest Rate Cap Among Payday Loan Borrowers

New Jersey has long been a national leader in the fight against predatory lending which strips wealth from communities. Strong state usury laws protecting New Jerseyans from payday lending in the state save New Jerseyans over $193 million annually. New Jerseyans continue to overwhelmingly support a rate cap on payday and consumer installment loans and want to ensure the strong...

If Treasury and FHFA release the GSEs from conservatorship, they should continue the return-regulated approach FHFA has used effectively in conservatorship. Utility-like regulation would allow the GSEs to continue to operate at low risk and in a way that provides broad access to affordable mortgage credit nationwide. Removing that check on GSE returns on equity would lead to greater risk...

Morning Consult conducted a survey, commissioned by Center for Responsible Lending, of approximately 10,000 registered voters. The poll is presented as a short Powerpoint-style slide deck with key takeaways, charts, and maps. This poll presentation is linked to above and here. Key findings include: An overwhelming majority (82%) of those who have taken out payday loans support an annual interest...