Advocates Condemn Rent-a-Bank Rule that Encourages Predatory High-Cost Loans; Call on Congress to Pass Federal 36% Interest Rate Cap Limit

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Consumer advocates slammed the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) for its final rule issued today that encourages online non-bank lenders to launder their loans through banks so they can offer high-cost triple-digit loans in states where such loans are illegal. The Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. proposed a similar rule but has not finalized it. The rules were strongly opposed by a bipartisan group of attorneys general as well as by numerous community, consumer, civil rights, faith and small business organizations, and may face legal challenges. At least 45

New Joint Bank Regulators’ Guidance Not an Excuse for Banks to Return to Issuing Payday Loans

Around a decade ago, banks’ “deposit advance” products put borrowers in an average of 19 loans per year at more than 200% annual interest Important FDIC consumer protections repealed WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, four banking regulators jointly issued new small dollar lending guidance that lacks the explicit consumer protections it should have. At the same time, it does require that loans be responsible, fair, and safe and sound, so banks would be wrong to use it as cover to once again issue payday loans or other high-interest credit. The guidance also explicitly advises against loans that put

OCC’s Updated CRA Rule Will Harm LMI Families & Communities of Color

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) released the final version of a rule to modernize the Community Reinvestment Act (CRA). The Federal Deposit Insurance Corp., which jointly released the CRA proposed rule with the OCC, did not join in this final announcement. The Federal Reserve Board did not sign on to the proposed rule or the final rule. OCC Comptroller Joseph Otting also announced that he is stepping down from the agency. Center for Responsible Lending Executive Vice President Nikitra Bailey released the following statement: The final rule remains

HEROES Act Shows Strong Promise, Senate Must Now Fill Voids to Further Protect Consumers and Student Loan Borrowers

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the HEROES Act (H.R. 6800), the latest legislative response to the unprecedented COVID-19 public health and economic crisis. Center for Responsible Lending (CRL) Federal Advocacy Director and Senior Counsel Ashley Harrington issued the following statement: The HEROES Act shows strong promise and addresses important needs of low-wealth families impacted by COVID-19, such as mortgage and forbearance relief, extended unemployment benefits and food assistance, and protections against harmful debt collection activities and negative

House’s HEROES Act Would Help Financially Vulnerable Families

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The U.S. House of Representatives, led by Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), yesterday released the HEROES Act (H.R. 6800), the latest legislative response to the unprecedented COVID-19 public health and economic crisis. Center for Responsible Lending (CRL) Federal Advocacy Director and Senior Counsel Ashley Harrington issued the following statement: The HEROES Act would help prevent families from losing their homes and stop an avalanche of debt that threatens to bury them. The HEROES Act would help protect the communities and families that have been hardest hit by the COVID

New Bipartisan Poll Shows Strong Support for Student Loan Debt Cancellation During COVID-19 Pandemic

“A majority of Americans across all regions of the U.S. support permanently reducing student loan debt by $20,000 for all borrowers.” WASHINGTON, D.C. - The Center for Responsible Lending (CRL) and Americans for Financial Reform (AFR) released a bipartisan poll today showing that Americans around the country and across partisan identities strongly support student debt reduction during the COVID-19 pandemic. Specifically, the poll indicates that a majority of adults support at least $20,000 in student debt reduction. Lake Research Partners and Chesapeake Beach Consulting designed this

Small Business Package Still Leaves Business Owners of Color Out In The Cold

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, the U.S. House of Representatives approved a small business package that the U.S. Senate approved by unanimous consent earlier this week. The bill aims to replenish funding for the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), the loan program designed to help struggling small businesses hurt by the COVID-19 crisis. In the bill, lawmakers agreed to appropriate $310 billion to the PPP, which ran out of its initial funding capacity last week. Unfortunately, like the initial PPP funding, most of these new funds will continue to go to larger, wealthier and less diverse businesses

Senate Excludes Businesses of Color in Second Round of PPP Funding

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The U.S. Senate passed a deal today to replenish funding for the Paycheck Protection Plan (PPP), the loan program designed to help small businesses slammed by the coronavirus crisis. Lawmakers agreed to send an additional $310 billion to the PPP, which ran out of its initial funding capacity last week. Like the initial PPP funding, most of these new funds will continue to go to larger, wealthier and less diverse businesses leaving smaller businesses of color excluded from the program unless changes are made. Center for Responsible Lending Federal Advocacy Director and Senior

California and Federal Officials Can Stop Creditors Collecting Debts from Funds Intended for Meeting Basic Needs

Oakland, CA – As people en masse are losing their jobs and income, creditors are taking from desperately needed stimulus checks in order to collect on debts. The Center for Responsible Lending today continued its call for state and federal officials to take immediate action to protect this emergency funding. Marisabel Torres, Center for Responsible Lending’s Director of California Policy, issued the following statement: The CARES Act stimulus checks are meant to help people meet basic needs like food, housing and medicine – not to pay off creditors. As it stands, a bank could take $1,000 in

CFPB Impedes Ability to Ensure All Americans are Fairly Served in the Housing Market by Exempting Companies from Data Reporting

Move Puts Communities of Color, Low- and Moderate-Income Families, and Rural Communities at Risk WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) yesterday issued a final rule that exempts more than 1,700 additional financial companies from reporting Home Mortgage Disclosure Act (HMDA) data about their lending. HMDA was enacted to combat lending discrimination by requiring companies to report public data on their mortgage lending, including information on borrower race and ethnicity. The reported information is a critical tool for researchers, advocates, and policymakers to