Research & Policy

Read our report (PDF) >> Our nation's largest banks extract billions of dollars in fees from their customers each year through abusive overdraft loan programs. Over the last ten years, these programs developed and proliferated under the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC), the national banks' primary regulator. The OCC recognized problems with the systems early on but...

The Federal Reserve issued rules in November 2009 related to bank overdraft practices. These rules are limited and do not address the fundamental problems with today's overdraft systems–- namely, their high cost and the frequency with which fees are charged. Americans pay $23.7 billion per year in overdraft fees, most commonly due to small debit card overdrafts that institutions could...

When homeowners are at risk of losing their home to foreclosure, the last thing they need is an extra tax bill. Congress passed the 2007 Mortgage Forgiveness Debt Relief Act ("the 2007 Act") specifically to avoid imposing extra taxes on distressed families, but as currently written, the law doesn't work. In passing the 2007 Act, Congress recognized that taxing this...

Julia Gordon, CRL Sr. Policy Counsel, testifies before the Financial Crisis Inquiry Commission on the causes and effects of the foreclosure crisis and why we need more and better responses. For questions about this testimony, contact Julia Gordon at julia.gordon@responsiblelending.org or (202) 349-1878.

H1058 significantly increases the amount of equity in their home that a homeowner can protect from creditors. This allows individuals with debt to keep their homes rather than having their home sold to satisfy a judgment. The law raises the NC homestead exemption from $18,500 to $35,000 per individual ($70,000 per married couple). If the homeowner is 65 or older...

Report Author: Josh Frank As of Jan 12, 2010, the Federal Reserve has effectively ended the "pick-a-rate" practice and the use of variable rate floors. These two abuses are featured in the 12/10/09 Dodging Reform report. Download the full report >> Download the executive summary >> Download table of abusive practices >> CRL's new report, Dodging Reform, finds: Issuers have...

Julia Gordon, CRL Senior Policy Counsel, testifies before the U.S. House of Representatives Financial Services Committee on why we need a stronger, multi-pronged approach to stopping the foreclosure epidemic. For questions about this testimony, contact Julia Gordon at julia.gordon@responsiblelending.org or (202) 349-1878.

Did you know that 6 out of 10 people who received subprime loans during the height of the lending boom could have qualified for a lower-cost mortgage--and it was completely legal? The vast majority of subprime loans made by mortgage brokers or loan officers came with a "yield-spread premium" – a kickback that brokers received from lenders in exchange for...

The latest mortgage data through second quarter 2010 show that while mortgage companies have stepped up their efforts outside the HAMP program, loan repairs are still dwarfed by the foreclosure epidemic. The chart below vividly illustrates that Federal efforts to stop foreclosures through the Home Affordable Modification Program (HAMP) simply aren't keeping pace with the foreclosure epidemic. Notes on chart...

Did you know that 6 out of 10 people who received subprime loans in 2006 could have qualified for a lower-cost mortgage, but didn't get the better deal because their mortgage broker earned a "kickback" for steering them to the higher-cost loan. And all this was completely legal. The Federal Reserve Board is now deciding whether to fix this by...

Michael Calhoun, president of the Center for Responsible Lending, testified before the U.S. Senate Committee on Banking, Housing & Urban Affairs on Tuesday, November 17, 2009. Mr. Calhoun offered support for the FAIR Overdraft Protection Act, introduced by Senator Christopher Dodd, as urgent and necessary reform for abusive bank overdraft fees.

The most common type of large loan held by Americans is the loan that finances their car—yet a recent mark-up of the Consumer Financial Protection Agency (CFPA) bill would allow auto dealers to be exempt from basic oversight that could save American families billions. Many dealers are like loan brokers: they typically write the car loans, then sell the loan...

Read the full analysis (PDF) >> Download this summary (PDF) >> Reckless and abusive lending practices have left California victim to a foreclosure crisis with catastrophic consequences for families, communities and the state economy. Recent assessments and reports from policy analysts, industry insiders and the media suggest that the catastrophe is over: a bottoming of the housing and stock markets...

H1057 prohibits deficiency judgments on predatory home loans in North Carolina. A deficiency judgment can be pursued by the lender if a foreclosed home sells at auction for less than the mortgage on the home. For the increasing number of homeowners who owe more on their loan than their home is worth (upside down in their mortgage), deficiency judgments add...

Why do we need the Consumer Financial Protection Agency? First and foremost, we need accountability. The truth is, none of the responsible agencies took action to stop the reckless lending and bad risk management that triggered the economic crisis. When seven different agencies oversee financial institutions, it's easy to create loopholes and point fingers at someone else. The CFPA will...

Why do we need the Consumer Financial Protection Agency? First and foremost, we need accountability. The truth is, none of the responsible agencies took action to stop the reckless lending and bad risk management that triggered the economic crisis. When seven different agencies oversee financial institutions, it's easy to create loopholes and point fingers at someone else. The CFPA will...

U.S. House and Senate proposals promise significant reform Regulators have failed to stop our nation's financial institutions from moving from a policy of discouraging overdrafts to that of encouraging and maximizing overdrafts to drive up fees. The Overdraft Protection Act of 2009, H.R. 3409, introduced by Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney in October 2009, would make meaningful reform with measures similar to...

Eric Halperin, director of CRL's DC office, submitted testimony to the Financial Services Committee of the U.S. House on H.R. 3904, the Overdraft Protection Act of 2009. He called the Act a crucial measure for protecting consumers from abusive bank overdraft fees, which have reached $23.7 billion per year. The Federal Reserve Board has failed to address the problem, and...

Banks and credit unions skim cash from accounts through unfair overdraft practices Rather than discouraging customers from overdrawing their accounts, the system most banks and credit unions now use creates additional overdrafts and maximizes the number of fees they can charge. CRL finds that bank fees for overdrafts increased 35 percent in two years, rising to nearly $24 billion per...

CRL shares stories of everyday people affected by financial abuse and emphasizes the need for the Consumer Financial Protection Agency to ensure that they and others are protected from such abuses in the future. The Dow closes at 10,000 points, putting it back to where it was a year ago when Lehman Brothers collapsed, and Wall Street rejoices. But the...

CRL shares stories of everyday people affected by financial abuse and emphasizes the need for the Consumer Financial Protection Agency to ensure that they and others are protected from such abuses in the future. The Dow closes at 10,000 points, putting it back to where it was a year ago when Lehman Brothers collapsed, and Wall Street rejoices. But the...

October 20, 2009 Members, Financial Services Committee U.S. House of Representatives Washington, DC 20510 Dear Representative: As the Financial Services Committee prepares to continue its markup of H.R. 3126, we write to express our support for a strong, non-preemptive Consumer Financial Protection Agency (CFPA). In this regard, we call your attention to two issues that are expected to come up...

October 20, 2009 Members, Financial Services Committee U.S. House of Representatives Washington, DC 20510 Dear Representative: As the Financial Services Committee prepares to continue its markup of H.R. 3126, we write to express our support for a strong, non-preemptive Consumer Financial Protection Agency (CFPA). In this regard, we call your attention to two issues that are expected to come up...