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About Us

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.
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
August 7, 2018
Unfair Market: The State of High-Cost Overdraft Practices in 2017
May 2, 2018
Repairing A Two-Tiered System: The Crucial but Complex Role of FHA
January 9, 2018
Supporting mortgage lending in rural communities

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News

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...
June 13, 2019 | By Dylan Svoboda | Sacramento News & Review
A lucrative poverty tax
Hannah Hudson was one of the few high school graduates lucky enough to take a European summer vacation before the long slog of adulthood. Little did she know, she’d spend a half-day wondering...
April 2, 2019 | By Susannah Snider | US News and World Report
7 Pesky Bank Fees and How to Avoid Them
They are pricey, pesky and often designed to catch you off guard when you can least afford them. Checking and savings account fees can add to the cost of closing a bank account or force a...

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