Originally appearing in American Banker on June 7, 2023, Polo Rocha discusses a legal debate that brewing over whether the Colorado law leaves potential wiggle room for high-cost lenders with NCLC’s Lauren Saunders. Lauren Saunders, associate director at the National Consumer Law Center, described such debates as lawyers trying to “gin up uncertainty” even though…
Originally appearing in The Wall Street Journal on June 4, 2023, Nicole Friedman and Ben Eisen discuss long-dormant mortgages that are coming back to bite with NCLC’s Andrea Bopp Stark. “All of a sudden we saw these second mortgages come out from under the woodwork. It’s a moneymaking opportunity.” Andrea Bopp Stark, a senior attorney…
Originally appearing in The New York Times on June 1, 2023, Tara Siegel Bernard discusses a proposed plan with NCLC’s Abby Shafroth to revise the existing income-driven plan known as REPAYE, that could reduce payments for millions of borrowers by more than half. The Education Department released the proposal in January, and a final rule — which…
Read More about The New York Times: The Student Loan Payment Pause Is Ending. Here's How to Prepare.
Originally appearing in AP News on June 14, 2023, Cora Lewis and Adriana Morga quote Abby Shafroth in a piece about the consequences of nonpayment upon the resumption of student loan payments. “Forbearance allows you to postpone payments without it being held against you, but interest does accrue. So you’re going to see your balance…
Originally appearing in ABC News on June 8, 2023, Peter Charalambous interviews Abby Shafroth for a discussion about the resumption of student loan payments as the Supreme Court deliberates student debt forgiveness. “Anyone who has been paying attention to the student loan system sees a train wreck coming, and there’s very little time to try…
Originally appearing in American Banker (subscription) on May 21, 2023, Polo Rocha interviews Lauren Saunders for a look at how several large and regional banks have started offering small-dollar loans to their cash-strapped customers and at how many Americans are using the products. Banks’ small-dollar loan products are a good option as long as they…
Read More about American Banker: Banks now offer payday-loan alternatives. How many people use them?
Originally appearing in The New York Times on May 19, 2023, Ann Carrns interview Abby Shafroth in a look at how interest rates on new federal student loans are expected to exceed 5 percent for the first time in five years, adding to the pressure on families already struggling to pay for college. While it’s…
Read More about The New York Times: Expect Interest Rates on Federal Student Loans to Rise
Originally appearing in American Banker (by subscription), Miriam Cross interview Lauren Saunders in a look at attempts across state legislatures to regulate earned wage access services. “California is not banning the product, but it is making clear they are loans, that they are generally subject to California financing laws and they must comply with fee…
Read More about American Banker: State efforts to regulate earned wage access are heating up
Appearing in the Washington Post on May 18, 2023, Spencer Tierney of NerdWallet talks to Carla Sanchez-Adams about bank accounts for college students. Carla Sanchez-Adams, senior attorney at the National Consumer Law Center, recommends looking into Bank On certified accounts, which don’t have overdraft or NSF fees. Transactions that would bring an account balance below zero get…
Read More about The Washington Post: Pick a college bank account as carefully as your college
Originally appearing in The Washington Post on May 15, 2023, patient advocates and attorneys, including Berneta Haynes, offer strategies to help consumers save on costs, avoid unexpected charges and negotiate with health insurers. Don’t put [medical debt] on a credit card or take out a loan to pay for it before you seek assistance, said Berneta…
Read More about The Washington Post: 9 tips to help you negotiate a medical bill
Airing on NPR WAMU (DC) on May 17, 2023, the latest installment of the 1A series Life and Debt looks at the different ways debt shows up in our lives. NPR invited Jenifer Bosco to join a panel to discuss medical debt in the U.S. and how we deal with it.
Read More about NPR: Life and Debt: Getting the hospital bill
Co-published with The Dallas Morning News and Shelterforce and appearing in ProPublica on May 11, 2023, Anjeanette Damon, Byard Duncan and Mollie Simon detail a ProPublica investigation that found HomeVestors franchisees used deception and targeted the elderly, infirm, and those close to poverty and quotes NCLC’s Sarah Bolling Mancini. “If your business model is convincing homeowners to sign…
Read More about ProPublica: The Ugly Truth Behind 'We Buy Ugly Houses'
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