CRL in the News

Still, even with the stepped-up enforcement, there are concerns that the state AGs can’t go after the really big financial companies such as Wells Fargo or Bank of America. States tend to go after smaller, state-chartered banks or non-banks like payday lenders and mortgage brokers. They also have less of a budget than the CFPB and thus may not be...

Payday lenders are companies that lend customers small amounts of money at high-interest rates with the agreement that the borrower will pay that money back. In Florida, payday lenders are preying on Black pastors and Civil Rights organizations and continue to expand their business as they hurt people. Roland Martin talks with Rev. Sekinah Hamlin, Director, Faith & Credit Roundtable...

To get the best rate possible, before heading to a dealership, check your credit scores and get preapproved for an auto loan. You can still get financed on the spot, but “now you have this pretty strong negotiating chip to help you get an even better rate from the dealer,” says Delvin Davis, senior research analyst at the Center for...

While many consumers choose to buy aftermarket products, they’ve also generated complaints. “Each of these products is very expensive—if you finance them through the dealership they’re marked up 100% to 150%,” said Delvin Davis, senior research associate at the Center for Responsible Lending, a nonprofit focusing on consumer finance. “A lot of times the products are put into the contract...

Student loan servicers have been continually cited for a litany of abuses. First, they neglected to inform borrowers about income-based repayment, under which borrowers pay a percentage of income over 20 or 25 years, and thereafter have the balance forgiven. “The reality is that borrowers shouldn’t be in default if servicers are doing their job,” said Whitney Barkley-Denney of the...

“Ten years after reckless and abusive financial industry behavior caused the Great Recession, Mr. Mulvaney is throwing sand in the gears of effective consumer protection,” said Debbie Goldstein, executive vice president at the Center for Responsible Lending.

"I think it's important for people to know if they are being contacted or harassed by debt collectors that they have rights," said Diane Standaert. "People shouldn't be ashamed of dealing with the problem and seeking help because if something like this (in debt collection) isn't dealt with quickly it can balloon into much bigger problems down the line." Standaert...

But Scott Astrada, a lobbyist for the Center for Responsible Lending – a non-profit advocacy group that participated in the talks that led to the report – said that could provide an incentive for banks to behave badly. “If I’m not doing my job right, but if I can do it in more areas, expanding a job not being well...

Mulvaney also advises that Congress create an independent inspector general dedicated to overseeing the CFPB. Debbie Goldstein of the Center for Responsible Lending, a financial services watchdog group, calls the suggestion “a red herring” given that the CFPB is already overseen by an inspector general that also monitors the Federal Reserve’s Board of Governors.

A recent study by the Center for Responsible Lending finds nationally, for-profit colleges leave students with higher levels of debt and lower graduation rates, and often with no degree and no improvement in their job-outlook. Whitney Barkley Denney with the Center joined us in studio year to talk about their research and the need for greater state and federal protections...