Featured News Archives

CNBC: A booming employee benefit at the heart of America’s affordability debate

February 24, 2026

Appearing in CNBC on February 27, 2026, Cheryl Minokur Monk talks to Lauren Saunders, associate director and director of federal advocacy at NCLC, about how an employee benefit known as earned wage access has become even more popular than 401(k) plan participation at some companies. “We don’t oppose completely free earned wage advances and believe…

Axios: Trump considers citizenship checks for bank accounts

February 24, 2026

Appearing in Axios on Februrary 24, 2026, Jason Lalljee talks to Chi Chi Wu, director of consumer reporting and data advocacy at NCLC about how the Trump administration is considering requiring banks to collect proof of citizenship from customers via an executive order. Trump likely couldn’t unilaterally implement these requirements via an executive order, Wu told Axios.…

KFF Health News: State Lawmakers Seek Restraints on Wage Garnishment for Medical Debt

February 20, 2026

Originally appearing in KFF Health News on February 20, 2026, Rae Ellen Bichell talks to Carolyn Carter, senior attorney at NCLC about how lawmakers in at least eight states this year are aiming to reel in wage garnishment for unpaid medical bills. Carter said broad laws that don’t require patients to jump through hoops to…

CNBC: What student loan borrowers need to know about judge’s ruling on SAVE plan

March 2, 2026

Appearing in CNBC on March 2, 2026, Kamaron McNair and Annie Nova talk to Abby Shafroth, managing director of advocacy at the National Consumer Law Center, about how a federal judge declined the Trump administration’s request to end the SAVE student loan repayment plan. Shafroth called on the Education Department to restore access to SAVE’s…

More Perfect Union: We Uncovered the Secret Scheme Trapping Americans in Car Loans

February 26, 2026

A recent investigation into auto lenders found companies making billions even as they set customers up to fail.

PBS News Hour: How 'zombie mortgages' are coming back to haunt homeowners years later

February 5, 2026

NCLC Senior Attorney Andrea Bopp Stark contributed to a segment originally appearing on PBS News Hour on February 5, 2026 from Paul Solman and Diane Lincoln Estes on “zombie mortgages” — debts that homeowners thought were forgiven long ago, only to learn that they still exist and could cost them their homes.

'Highballed': How disproportionate property taxes are forcing some Americans out of their homes

August 3, 2025

Appearing in ABC News on August 3, 2025, Mark Nichols, Tonya Simpson, Maia Rosenfeld , Jared Kofsky, and Tommy Brooksbank talk to John Rao, senior attorney at NCLC about how people of color tend to pay disproportionate property taxes. John Rao, senior attorney at the National Consumer Law Center, says U.S. homeowners in communities of…

American Banker: Experts weigh whether CFPB database tweaks help or hurt

February 13, 2026

Appearing in American Banker on Feb. 13, 2026, Kate Berry talks to April Kuehnhoff, senior attorney and Chi Chi Wu, director of consumer reporting and data advocacy at the National Consumer Law Center about the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s recent overhaul of its consumer complaint portal, with experts warning that the agency is adding “friction” to the…

MarketWatch: These apps offer quick cash, but some users say they’re trapped in debt. This loophole is their escape hatch.

February 12, 2026

Appearing in MarketWatch on Feb. 12, 2025, Genna Contino talks to Lauren Saunders, associate director and director of federal advocacy at the National Consumer Law Center about how earned-wage-access and cash-advance apps operate outside traditional lending rules, allowing consumers to stop repayment without harming their credit. “If somebody is really stuck in this trap, I…

American Banker: CFPB warns consumers about filing credit bureau disputes

February 5, 2026

Appearing in American Banker on Feb. 5, 2026, Kate Berry talks to Chi Chi Wu, Director of Consumer Reporting and Data Advocacy at the National Consumer Law Center about the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s sudden addition of new requirements to its consumer complaint portal that aim to reduce the number of disputes about inaccurate information on…

CNBC: Student loan borrowers in default may miss out on Trump’s ‘largest tax refund season of all time’

January 14, 2026

Appearing in CNBC on Jan. 14, 2026, Annie Nova talks to NCLC Senior Attorney Kyra Taylor about how the Trump administration is predicting larger tax refunds for the 2026 season due to changes in the “big beautiful bill,” but the millions of student loan borrowers who are behind on their payments may miss out. If…

The New York Times: Trump Administration Delays Forced Collections on Student Loan Defaults

January 16, 2026

Appearing in The New York Times on Jan. 16, 2026, Tara Siegel Bernard talks to Abby Shafroth, managing director of advocacy at the National Consumer Law Center, about the Education Department temporarily pausing a plan to seize tax refunds and begin garnishing the wages of borrowers who have defaulted on their student loans. “Today’s announcement…

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