Banking Regulator Rule Would Open Door Again to Payday Lending in North Carolina
OCC Seeks to Bless Bank/Payday Lender Partnerships that Enabled Evasion of NC Usury Caps in Early 2000’s Durham, NC — Yesterday, the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) proposed a rule that would allow predatory lenders to partner with out-of-state banks for the purpose of evading North Carolina’s interest rate cap. The “true lender” rule would enable the same situation that the North Carolina Banking Commissioner put a stop to in 2006. Payday lenders like Advance America were operating all over the state, charging annual interest rates up to 400%, which violated North Carolina law