Press Releases
August 9, 2017
ATLANTA, GA. – Tomorrow, at this year’s Netroots Nation 2017 conference in Atlanta, Georgia, the Center for Responsible Lending (CRL) will host a panel entitled, Fintech: How Can Innovation Advance Civil Rights?, to discuss ways the financial technology (fintech) sector can help build a fair and inclusive financial marketplace for consumers, especially low-wealth families and communities of color. The panel will include representatives from New Jersey Citizen Action (NJCA), LendingClub, the California Reinvestment Coalition, and the Center for Global Policy Solutions. Netroots Nation is the...
July 25, 2017
New Poll Shows that Congress Going Against Wishes of Constituents in Voting to Repeal a CFPB Rule that would Restore the Right of Americans to Take Financial Firms to Court
WASHINGTON, D.C. – The House of Representatives is expected to vote today on H.J. Res. 111, a bill that would rescind a Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) rule that curtails forced arbitration clauses. A new poll from the Center for Responsible Lending and Americans for Financial Reform shows strong support, across the political spectrum and across the country, for the CFPB arbitration rule.
Likely voters...
July 20, 2017
Senators and Representatives Announce Legislation to Repeal Consumer Bureau Rule that Restores Americans' Ability to Challenge Illegal Lending Actions in Court
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Senate Banking Committee Chairman Mike Crapo (R-Idaho) and House Financial Services Committee Chairman Jeb Hensarling (R-Texas) announced legislation that would rescind a new Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) rule, which restores the ability of consumers to band together in a class action lawsuit to challenge the illegal behavior of banks, payday lenders, and other financial companies. The...
July 18, 2017
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Tuesday, July 18, at 11 a.m. ET/8 a.m. PT, Americans for Financial Reform (AFR) and the Center for Responsible Lending (CRL) hosted a press teleconference on a national poll highlighting the country’s view of Wall Street and current financial regulation issues such as arbitration and payday lending six months into the Trump Administration. (Cong. Maxine Waters was not able to participate in the teleconference.)
The poll showcases likely voters' views on the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, debt collection practices, forced arbitration, payday lending, and Wall...
July 18, 2017
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Voters overwhelmingly favor regulation of Wall Street and strongly support the work of the work of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), according to a poll released today by Americans for Financial Reform (AFR) and the Center for Responsible Lending (CRL).
The poll, conducted by the bipartisan partners Lake Research Partners and Chesapeake Beach Consulting last month, also revealed that more than 70 percent of likely voters believe that Wall Street holds too much influence in Washington under the Trump administration.
“The poll makes clear that consumers...
July 10, 2017
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) released its final rule aimed to restrict forced arbitration and improve access to our judicial system for all consumers. Across the country, fine print agreements--from financial to employment contracts--too often include arbitration clauses to strip individuals from receiving their fair day in court. These agreements often ban class action lawsuits, leaving consumers unable to challenge widespread misconduct since it is often too expensive to pursue small-dollar disputes one-by-one in arbitration.
While the CFPB...
June 29, 2017
Under Consideration Today, House Financial Services Appropriations Bill Would Weaken Critical Protections for Consumers
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, the Center for Responsible Lending (CRL) denounced the House Appropriations Committee’s Financial Services and General Government FY ’18 appropriations bill, which is being marked up right now in subcommittee. The legislation proposes a dangerous deregulatory agenda, including the removal of borrower protections in the housing market and the evisceration of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB). Created in the wake of the 2007 financial...
June 29, 2017
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, Center for Responsible Lending (CRL) President Mike Calhoun testified before the U.S. Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs for a hearing entitled, “Principles of Housing Finance Reform.” In his testimony, Calhoun argued that any proposed legislation to reform the U.S. housing system must ensure broad access for all creditworthy borrowers and permit equal participation for small lenders and community banks. Calhoun also cautioned that reform has already occurred with the Housing and Economic Recovery Act of 2008, and through the new independent...
June 21, 2017
Measure Would Strengthen Enforcement of Consumer Protection Laws for Military Servicemembers and their Families
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, the Center for Responsible Lending (CRL) announced its endorsement of the Military Consumer Enforcement Act, a bill introduced today by former Army Ranger Senator Jack Reed (D-R.I.) and by Senator Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), Ranking Members of the Armed Services and the Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs committees respectively. The legislation would give the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) authority to oversee and enforce compliance with...
June 20, 2017
"Instead of criticizing the Consumer Bureau, the Committee should be working to ensure CFPB remains a strong agency to stop abusive financial practices."
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, the Center for Responsible Lending (CRL) sent a letter to House Financial Services Committee Chairman Jeb Hensarling (R-Texas) and Ranking Member Maxine Waters (D-Calif.) rebutting the committee's majority staff report criticizing the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's (CFPB) role in investigating Wells Fargo's fraudulent account scheme.
"The evidence, as publicly available prior to the issuance of the...