Featured News Archives

USA Today: States advance medical debt protections as federal support fades

December 19, 2025

Appearing in USA Today and KFF Health News on December 19, 2025, Rae Ellen Bichell interviews NCLC Director of Consumer Reporting and Data Advocacy Chi Chi Wu for coverage of how lawmakers in several states are working to expand medical debt protections for patients, even after the Trump administration reversed course and told states they…

MarketWatch: It’s been illegal to make women have a man co-sign their loans since the ’70s. Now the Trump administration could change that.

December 17, 2025

Appearing in MarketWatch on December 17, 2025, Aarthi Swaminathan interviews NCLC Senior Attorney Jeremiah Battle, Jr. for coverage of proposed changes to a rule barring banks from discriminating against certain borrowers that advocates say are ‘alarming,’ and a ‘step backwards.’ “This rule would invite discrimination to persist in the credit market and create barriers to…

The New York Times: What Is a ‘Zombie Mortgage,’ and How Can You Avoid It?

December 13, 2025

Appearing in The New York Times on December 13, 2025, Jill Terreri Ramos interviews NCLC Senior Attorney Andrea Bopp Stark to help answer a reader’s question about an outstanding “zombie mortgage” held by the previous owners of a home, who didn’t disclose it during the sale. Hopefully, hiring your own attorney will help you understand…

NPR: Should you use buy now, pay later? Experts share 4 tips to know

December 13, 2025

Airing on NPR’s Planet Money on December 13, 2025, Vito Emanuel talks to NCLC Associate Director and Director of Federal Advocacy Lauren Saunders about how more shoppers are choosing to buy now, pay later this holiday season. Saunders warns it’s easy to borrow too much and lose track of how much you’re paying and when…

The Hill: The Trump administration takes a wrecking ball to rulemaking

November 26, 2025

In an op-ed for The Hill that ran on November 26, 2025 by Rebecca B. Bond, former chief of the Disability Rights Section, Civil Rights Division, in the U.S. Department of Justice and Diane Thompson, deputy director and chief advocacy officer at the National Consumer Law Center discuss a dry, technical memo that declared the end of…

Associated Press: Voters’ anger at high electricity bills and data centers looms over 2026 midterms

November 8, 2025

Appearing in the Associated Press on November 8, 2025, Marc Levy and Jesse Bedayn talked to Jen Bosco, Managing Director of Energy Advocacy at the National Consumer Law Center about how voter anger over the cost of living is hurtling forward into next year’s midterm elections, when pivotal contests will be decided by communities that…

American Banker: Ruling on high-cost loans has nationwide implications

November 12, 2025

Appearing in American Banker on November 11, 2025, Kevin Wack talks to NCLC Associate Director and Director of Federal Advocacy Lauren Saunders about a federal appeals courts finding that Colorado has the authority to apply its own interest rate caps to state-chartered banks from the other 49 states when they make loans to Coloradans. The decision…

CNBC: This factor can be a ‘kiss of death’ on your credit report, says consumer advocate

November 4, 2025

Appearing in CNBC on November 4, 2025, Ryan Ermey talks to Chi Chi Wu, Director of Consumer Reporting and Data Advocacy at the National Consumer Law Center about how rent payments have become a consideration on a growing number of American credit reports. Wu warns that for certain renters, the risk of reporting a missed…

The Boston Globe: As Americans tighten their belts, more and more are falling behind on their car payments

November 4, 2025

Appearing in the Boston Globe on November 4, 2025, Camilo Fonseca interviews NCLC Senior Attorney John Van Alst for coverage of how for many Americans, buying and owning a car has become harder than it’s been in decades. And buyers are taking on larger loans than ever before. “The trends are ‘very alarming, particularly for…

MarketWatch: Banks like Chase, Capital One are offering financial help to people affected by the shutdown. Here are the potential risks.

October 31, 2025

Appearing in MarketWatch on Oct. 31, 2025, Geena Contino talks to Alys Cohen, director of federal housing advocacy at NCLC, and Chi Chi Wu, director of consumer reporting and data advocacy, about how consumers seeking financial relief during the government shutdown should read the fine print and take steps to protect their credit. “Take the…

Bloomberg Law: US Law Overrides State Bans on Medical Debt Reporting, CFPB Says

October 27, 2025

Appearing in Bloomberg Law on Oct. 27, 2025, Evan Weinberger talks to Chi Chi Wu, director of consumer reporting and data advocacy at NCLC, about the Trump administrations claims that the Federal Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) takes precedence over state measures barring medical debt and other items on consumer credit reports. Premium increases could leave…

ConsumerAffairs: Consumer groups warn of 'unstoppable' glut of robocalls if rules are weakened

October 20, 2025

Appearing in ConsumerAffairs on Oct. 20, 2025, James R. Hood quotes NCLC Senior Attorney Patrick Crotty in coverage of a coalition letter urging the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to abandon plans that would roll back key safeguards against unwanted robocalls. The groups warned that the proposal would strip consumers and small business owners of two…

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