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Peter Smith

Peter Smith
Senior Researcher

Peter Smith is a senior researcher leading on overdraft practices, as well as works on mortgages, student loans and bank payday loan issues. Pete has been with CRL since 2005, authoring numerous reports and briefs, and creating body of often-cited research literature.

He was born and raised in Maryland, and attended the University of Maryland's Honors Program, where he graduated with a BS in Mathematics. Based CRL's Oakland (CA) office, Pete is entering the Masters of City Planning program at the University of California at Berkeley. In his spare time, he is an avid record collector and Scrabble player.

Research & Policy

Our in-depth research of financial practices is intended to guide policymakers and opinion leaders working to improve the state of lending.
September 26, 2022
Unsafe Harbor: The Persistent Harms of High-Cost Installment Loans
August 2, 2022
Debt Under Duress: The Economic Impacts of Bail Bonds on San Francisco Bay Area Residents
May 10, 2022
Necessary Relief: Substantial Cancellation Will Ease the Burden of Unaffordable Student Debt (and Boost the Economy)
October 13, 2020
Court System Overload: The State of Debt Collection in California after the Fair Debt Buyer Protection Act
June 2, 2020
Overdraft Fees: Banks Must Stop Gouging Consumers During the COVID-19 Crisis

Pages

News

May 18, 2022 | By Laurence Darmiento | Los Angeles Times
Would you tip a payday lender? A new cash app relies on a controversial business model
That less-than-personal touch has given ammunition to critics, who say deceptive interfaces and bogus promotions of “community” are used by cash-advance apps to persuade customers to tip the...
May 17, 2022 | By Megan Leonhardt | Fortune
Cutting overdraft fees could save Americans $17 billion a year—but banks are slow to make changes
“It's great that a lot of large financial institutions are making a move away from fee-based overdraft for their customers,” says Peter Smith, a senior researcher for the left-leaning Center for...
July 12, 2021 | By Penelope Wang | Consumer Reports
How to Choose a Bank Account Without Overdraft Fees
As noted earlier, many major banks offer Bank On accounts. All told, these accounts are available at 40 percent of bank branches nationwide, according to David Rothstein, senior principal at CFE Fund...
June 3, 2020
New Overdraft Report Urges Congress, Regulators, Banks to Halt Burdensome Bank Fees That Threaten Economic Recovery 
Banks collected more than $11.68 billion in 2019 through abusive overdraft practices that drain consumers’ checking accounts Congress, Regulators, and Banks all have the responsibility and power...

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