Research

Credit cards are one of the most common purchasing tools used by Americans, with many households relying on credit cards to pay for basic living costs. In the past, credit card companies took advantage of this reliance by engaging in unfair and deceptive practices such as complicated pricing and high fees. This chapter describes these abusive practices and the reforms...

Prepaid cards can be useful, but they carry risks as well. Use these tips to help determine the best prepaid card for you. To embed our infographic to your site, simply cut and paste the code below

This infographic shows the changes in the use of plastic payments, including credit cards, debit cards, and prepaid cards. To embed our infographic to your site, simply just cut and paste the code below

Center for Responsible Lending

This chapter in the State of Lending report series presents a picture of the overall financial status of U.S. consumers today. It is based on data from the Consumer Expenditure survey, the Survey of Consumer Finances, and other national data sources. These sources reveal that, since 2000, American families have faced declining real incomes,a higher cost of living, greater debt...

Ever since the financial crisis started, the Blame Game has been a popular pastime. In this infographic, we highlight players who often get more than their share of pointing fingers. To embed our infographic to your site, simply just cut and paste the code below

Student loans can help you pay for college, but they're not all alike. This infographic shows the different features of federal vs. private loans. Read the Chapter To embed our infographic to your site, simply cut and paste the code below http://qa.crl.w.lmdagency.net/state-lending/student-loans" data-mce-href="http://www.responsiblelending.org/state-of-lending/student-loans/federa…"><img alt="Federal vs. Private Student Loans - Infographic" src="http://www.responsiblelending.org/state-of-lending/images/student-loan-… " title="Federal vs. Private Student Loans - Infographic"...

Figuring out how to pay for college can be difficult. In this video, Andrea Harris (President of the NC Institute of Minority Economic Development) discusses three important things that parents and students should remember when looking for financial aid or student loans.

In the U.S. today, total student loan debt exceeds $1 trillion and nearly one in five households has a student loan. This chapter discusses factors leading to the growth in student loan debt and highlights important differences between federal and more costly private student loans. The chapter also shows the spike in student loan defaults and highlights the role of...

Debt settlement companies offer the promise of settling a consumer's debt for a fraction of what they owe. The idea is simple: debt settlement companies offer to negotiate down the outstanding debt (usually from credit cards) owed to a more manageable amount so that a consumer can become debt free. Unfortunately debt settlement carries significant risks that may result in...

The debt collection industry is a rapidly expanding business, with revenue increasing up to 600 percent between 2003 and 2012. Private companies buy billions of dollars of charged-off debt from banks each year. The most common type of debt purchased comes from credit cards, but debt buyers also buy student loans, medical debt and more. As the industry has grown...