Center for Straight Answers
As a longstanding leader in the fight against reckless and abusive lending practices, the Center for Responsible Lending and its affiliate, Self-Help, are often the subject of attacks by predatory lenders. These well-financed interest groups create fancy front groups and back multi-million dollar smear campaigns to try and put a stop to the important work that we do.
Our opponents have a profit-driven interest in exploiting consumers with abusive lending practices. We, on the other hand, are driven by a non-profit, nonpartisan mission to protect homeownership and family wealth for hardworking Americans.
We have created the Center for Straight Answers to set the record straight. Our opponent’s baseless attacks distract from the issues that matter, and the American people deserve the truth and straight answers.
Please feel free to search all of the entries below, and help us stay one step ahead of the predatory lenders and their lobbyists by using the tip-line to alert us to their new attacks and schemes.
To learn more about these fancy front groups and their attacks visit our Astroturf Group Alert page.
- Self-Help Credit Union: Fair Lending, Strong Results
January 7, 2009
In their newest attempt to halt reform on their industry, payday lenders have created a fake "grassroots" group called the Consumers Rights League (CR League) to attack Self-Help and CRL by spreading misinformation about the groups' work.
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- Advocating for Products that Make Economic Sense for Consumers
January 7, 2009
Despite heavy industry critiism, in 2006, CRL warned that subprime loans were on the verge of failing on a mass scale. As we now know, that projection has proved to be all-too accurate. Throughout its history, CRL has pushed for financial products that make economic sense for consumers, that is who we are and what we stand for.
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- How Self-Help's Financial Soundness Supports its Community Development Work
January 6, 2009
SHCU financial results and practices have nothing to do with self-interest, but with the development of strong communities.
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- Doing What We Preach Everyday
January 6, 2009
As a community development lender, Self-Help offers responsible loan products at fair rates. It seeks to live up to the standards pushed for in its advocacy work.
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- How Does Self-Help Compare to Other Credit Unions?
January 6, 2009
Self-Help financial results versus other credit unions shows how responsible lending makes economic sense for consumers and financial institutions.
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- Myths and Facts Regarding the Subprime Market
January 1, 2009
The current epidemic of subprime foreclosures is severe and widespread. The primary victims are hard-working families who, instead of gaining the benefits of homeownership, are struggling to keep their home. However, in spite of these realities, certain myths persist.
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- 'Tis the Season for Scapegoating
December 24, 2008
With all the massive bailouts blooming in Congress, one would think that Wall Street would take some responsibility for the mess they created, but instead they are blaming everything and everyone they can.
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- Forbes' Probe Gets It Wrong
March 12, 2008
The Columbia Journalism Review finds that a Forbes “probe” of CRL’s CEO Martin Eakes “can’t find any facts—not even one—that even remotely qualify as mud."
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