Texas

Payday lenders charge exorbitant fees to borrowers without assessing their ability to repay, and the annual interest rates on these loans are in the triple digits.

A few high-cost lenders are evading state consumer protections through rent-a-bank schemes. Through these sham arrangements, these companies are exploding right through the interest rate limits that most states have put in place for good reason, to protect people from high-cost debt traps that drain them of their hard-earned income. In the following states, payday lenders are using banks, which aren’t generally subject to state interest rate caps, to make usurious loans that exceed the state’s rate cap. The banks engaging in these schemes are abusing their charters and enabling predatory loans...

Payday and car-title loans typically carry annual percentage rates (APR) of at least 300%. These high-cost loans are marketed as quick solutions to a financial emergency. Research demonstrates, however, that they frequently lead to debt that is nearly impossible to escape. In addition, these loans are related to a cascade of other financial consequences, such as increased overdraft fees, delinquency on other bills, involuntary loss of bank accounts, and even bankruptcy. For car-title loans, the end result is too often the repossession of the borrower’s car, a critical asset for many people...

This color-coded map of payday stores by household reveals a disturbing pattern. Southern states are among the most targeted for these high-cost, low-dollar loans.

In recent years, a growing number of states have enacted interest rate caps and other protections to eliminate abusive payday lending practices that trap consumers in long term debt. Payday lenders repeatedly evade these rules, finding new ways to maintain business as usual and continue to offer short-term loans with triple-digit interest rates. The latest form of subterfuge is one in which the payday lenders position themselves as brokers, seeking licensure under state-level laws designed to regulate credit repair organizations. Under this scheme, payday lenders charge the maximum interest...