CRL in the News

By Mike Calhoun With the recent passing of former Rep. Barney Frank (D-Mass.), let’s remember and recommit to a central component of his legacy: stopping the predatory lending that had caused millions to lose their homes. President Trump recently signed an executive order, “Promoting Access to Mortgage Credit,” directing federal regulators to review protections established by the landmark law authored...

Ambition Without Access, a newly released study by the Julian Bond Institute (JBI), an initiative of the Center for Responsible Lending (CRL), is the first nationally representative look at how wealth and financial aspirations differ across race and generations particularly for Blacks and Latinos.

Amid historic affordability challenges in the U.S., a new study released today by the Julian Bond Institute for Financial Equity Research (JBI) debunks preconceived notions that younger, more diverse generations lack motivation to contribute to the economy.

As of this writing, 21 states and the District of Columbia have outlawed triple-digit interest rates on payday loans and similar credit products. These hard-won consumer victories largely stopped lenders from trapping people in triple-digit interest rate debt — key strides towards financial freedom.

“If you take one step forward, but you take 15 steps back, you have a very low odds of being able to achieve your objective, which is to give Americans some relief in the cost of housing today,” Mitria Wilson-Spotser, vice president and federal policy director at the Center for Responsible Lending, told TPM of White House housing policy.

The Oregon Senate passed House Bill 4116, which stops online lenders from exploiting a loophole in federal law to charge consumer loan interest rates above Oregon’s 36% cap through “rent-a-bank” schemes. The bill now moves to Governor Tina Kotek’s desk to be signed into law. “Predatory ‘rent-a-bank’ loans have high rates of interest, defaults, and repeat borrowing. The business model...

Prevost recommended a few websites to learn about next steps if you have a solar contract that has gone bad. The National Association of Consumer Advocates for help finding attorneys in your area The Center for Responsible Lending for answers about widespread solar loan practices He also recommended caution in searching for solar panel attorneys on Facebook or social media...

A temporary win for student loan borrowers. The SAVE Plan is intact for now after U.S District judges dismissed a lawsuit challenging the SAVE Plan. The Vice President and Federal Policy Director of the Center for Responsible Lending will explain what this means for borrowers.

“They’re designing the products in such a way to encourage smaller loans to get more fees,” said Yasmin Farahi, deputy director of state policy and senior policy counsel at the Center for Responsible Lending, a nonprofit focused on fair and equitable lending practices.

“There’s a glaring omission in this report,” Graciela Aponte-Diaz, vice president of the Center for Responsible Lending, said in a statement. “The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau has saved Americans trillions of dollars by protecting them from financial exploitation and providing guardrails that keep predatory lenders from creating a repeat of the catastrophic 2008 Financial Crisis. “Top U.S. banks posted record...