Key Issues

Explore NCLC’s key issues.

NCLC uses its expertise in consumer law and energy policy to work for consumer justice and economic security for low-income and other disadvantaged people, including older adults, in the U.S.

Select a topic to the left to learn more about our work in these key issue areas or select “See All Issues and Topics” to see the full list of our work areas. View our 2023-2024 Consumer Protection Federal Priorities.

Access to Justice

Fighting for consumers’ ability to pursue justice through the courts.

Access to Courts

Supporting access to counsel and robust protections for consumers in court proceedings.

Arbitration

Opposing forced arbitration clauses that take away consumers’ day in court.

Standing

Working to overcome artificial barriers that impede consumers’ access to the courts.

Auto Finance & Sales

Working for policies that bring transparency and fairness to car sales and financing.

Auto Finance

Advancing policies that bring transparency and fairness to car financing.

Auto Sales

Working to stop abusive car sales tactics so families can get a safe and reliable car.

Electric Vehicles

Working to ensure that electric vehicle policies address the transportation needs of low-income consumers.

Banking, Payments & Remittances

Supporting consumer protections for deposit accounts and payment systems.

Bank Charters

Fighting expansion of bank charters and bank privileges in ways that undermine consumer protections. 

Bank, Prepaid & Other Deposit Accounts

Working to protect bank accounts, prepaid cards, and other deposit accounts.

Crypto-Assets & Digital Currencies

Crypto-assets are becoming the latest in a long line of devices used to strip wealth from communities of color and push them further behind.

Overdraft Fees & Services

Fighting abusive overdraft fee practices that harm consumers.

Payments & Payment Fraud

Working to protect consumers and fight fraud when people send money and make payments.

Remittances

NCLC has been the leading advocate for remittance senders in the past two decades, striving to protect them against unfair and undisclosed fees imposed by remittance providers.

Consumer Protection Regulation

Supporting strong consumer protection agencies and regulations.

Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB)

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau was created to ensure strong consumer protections, but the agency has been under attack since its inception.

Federal Trade Commission (FTC)

NCLC fights for a strong Federal Trade Commission and ensures it has the tools needed to protect consumers.

Military & Veterans

Protecting servicemembers and veterans from predatory lenders and scammers that target them for their steady but often limited income and benefits.

Preemption

Countering efforts to preempt strong state consumer protection laws.

Unfair, Deceptive & Abusive Practices (UDAP)

Fighting for protections against unfair, deceptive, and abusive practices.

Credit Reporting & Data Fairness

Fighting abuses by credit bureaus and other traffickers of consumer data.

Alternative Data & Algorithms

Working to ensure that use of alternative data and algorithms will help, not hurt, consumers.

Background Checks

Fighting inaccurate and discriminatory criminal background checks that are a bar to jobs and housing.

Consumer Protections for Renters

Protecting renters from abuses in tenant screening, rental debt collection, junk fees, and more.

Credit Repair & Credit Monitoring Products

Fighting against shady credit repair firms and pricy credit monitoring products.

Credit Reporting & Scores

Combating errors, bias, abuses, and racial inequity in the credit reporting system.

Tenant Screening

Ensuring that inaccurate and discriminatory tenant screening is not a bar to housing.

Criminal Justice

Working to stop unfair financial practices in the criminal justice system and to ease re-entry.

Background Checks

Fighting inaccurate and discriminatory criminal background checks that are a bar to jobs and housing.

Consumer Issues for Justice-Involved Individuals

Working to stop unfair financial practices in the criminal justice system and to ease re-entry.

Criminal Justice Debt, Fines & Fees

Addressing harmful debts resulting from criminal justice system involvement.

Debt & Bankruptcy

Protecting families from overwhelming debt.

Bankruptcy

Improving access to bankruptcy for low-income consumers and expanding the relief available.

Consumer Protections for Renters

Protecting renters from abuses in tenant screening, rental debt collection, junk fees, and more.

Criminal Justice Debt, Fines & Fees

Addressing harmful debts resulting from criminal justice system involvement.

Debt Collection

Protecting consumers from abusive debt collection practices.

Debt Settlement & Relief Services

Striving to protect consumers from deceptive debt settlement and relief services.

Medical Debt

Working to reduce the burden of medical debt on individuals and families.

Disasters & Pandemics

Helping communities experiencing pandemic challenges and natural disasters.

COVID Relief

Targeting COVID relief to reduce economic inequality through policy change.

Disaster Relief

Helping communities deal with the financial impacts of natural disasters.

Energy, Utilities & Telecommunications

Advocating for affordable energy and utility service for everyone.

Affordable & Equitable Utility Service

Advocating for home energy and utilities that are clean, affordable, and equitable.

Climate Change

Ensuring that the transition to clean energy centers affordability and access.

Digital Divide

Ensuring access to affordable, quality voice and internet services for everyone, regardless of income or geography.

Electric Vehicles

Working to ensure that electric vehicle policies address the transportation needs of low-income consumers.

Energy Efficiency

Advocating for free and low-cost programs to improve energy efficiency and upgrades and oppose unaffordable financing.

Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP)

Working for affordable access to home heating and cooling services, which are essential for safe and healthy housing.

Stay Connected

Maintaining access to heating, electricity, gas, phone, and broadband for all low-income customers by providing expert support and training opportunities to front-line social service workers and advocates.

Utility Consumer Protections & Bill Payment Assistance

Ensuring that all families have access to utility service and financial help when needed.

Water

Fighting for affordable water and sewer service for all families.

Equity & Racial Justice

Fighting discrimination and promoting equitable economic opportunity.

Disability Rights

Promoting equitable access to financial products for consumers with disabilities. 

Language Access & Immigrant Rights

Promoting equitable access to financial services for immigrants and consumers with language barriers.

Older Adults

Working to preserve and protect the assets and resources of older consumers.

Racial Justice

Working to address systemic racism and advance economic justice for consumers of color.

High-Cost Credit

Fighting predatory lending and evasions of interest rate caps and other credit laws.

Credit Cards

Protecting consumers against credit card abuses.

Fintech Credit & Earned Wage Advances

Fighting for strong consumer protections for new forms of credit.

Interest Rate, Usury & Other Credit Laws

Supporting effective state and federal interest rate limits and credit laws.

Payday & Installment Loans

Fighting high-cost, predatory loans and supporting affordable small dollar credit.

Rent-a-Bank Loans

Fighting schemes that help lenders evade state interest rate limits.

Homeownership & Foreclosure

Promoting just, affordable homeownership and foreclosure prevention.

FHA Loans

Working to preserve affordable homeownership in the Federal Housing Administration loan program.

Libor

The LIBOR is a benchmark index, also known as a reference rate, that is commonly used in millions of adjustable rate mortgages, Home Equity Line of Credit (HELOCs), and student loans.

Manufactured Housing

Promoting sustainable practices for consumers in manufactured housing.

Mortgage Lending

Promoting sustainable and equitable homeownership for low-income families.

Mortgage Servicing & Foreclosures

Preserving homeownership with foreclosure prevention and servicing advocacy.

Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) Loans

Protecting PACE borrowers against fraud, unaffordable loans, and foreclosure.

Reverse Mortgages

Working to keep reverse mortgages safe and prevent foreclosures.

State Foreclosure Laws & Policy

Promoting state policies and using state law to prevent foreclosure.

Robocalls & Texts

NCLC works to stop unwanted or fraudulent robocalls and texts, to protect consumers, and to make it harder for scammers to disappear with a consumer’s money.

Scams

Advocacy to improve and enforce existing laws to stop scam calls and texts.

Spam

Challenging debt collection and other illegal calls and texts.

Telemarketing

Advocacy to reduce illegal telemarketing calls and texts.

Student Loans

Making the student loan system work for low-income borrowers.

Federal Student Loans

Improving the federal student loan system on which millions rely.

Predatory For-Profit Schools

Stopping predatory for-profit colleges from harming students.

Private Student Loans & ISAs

Protecting borrowers against abusive private student loan and income-share agreement practices.

Litigation

NCLC represents consumers in cutting-edge litigation that seeks to reform the rules of the marketplace.

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Legislation

We fight to approve the laws that protect low-income consumers.

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