Recent Reports

Picking Workers’ Pockets: Unfair, Deceptive and Abusive Practices by Earned Wage Payday Lenders

^{January 12, 2026}

Fueling the ongoing affordability crisis, new types of payday loans offered through cash advance apps – so-called “earned wage access products”– drain hundreds of dollars a year from thin wages. This report discusses the risks and recommendations.

Predatory Installment Lending in the States: How Well Do the States Protect Consumers Against High-Cost Installment Loans? (2025)

^{December 19, 2025}

Caps on interest rates and junk fees are the primary vehicle by which states protect consumers from predatory lending. This report presents current findings and recommendations for APR caps.

No Fresh Start: Will States Protect Families from Wage and Asset Seizures as Debt Levels Soar? (2025)

^{December 17, 2025}

Every state has a set of exemption laws, intended to prevent creditors from pushing families into destitution. This report finds that few states’ exemption laws meet even the most basic standards.

“What the Heck, Dude!”: How States Can Fight Rental Housing Junk Fees

^{November 13, 2025}

In this companion report to Too Damn High, we focus on steps that state and local governments and advocates can take to address junk fees.

Disregarded and In Debt: Understanding Barriers to Relief for Victims of Coerced Debt

^{October 28, 2025}

This report provides a summary of the results of the nationwide survey of direct service providers regarding the barriers faced by victims of coerced debt when trying to address coerced debt on their credit reports and highlights the greatest barriers victims of coerced debt face is getting relief.

Seizing the Safety Net: Collecting Criminal Justice Debt with Tax Refund Offsets

^{January 30, 2025}

This report looks at one little-known method of collecting criminal justice debt—seizing income tax refunds—and highlights the financial harms for justice-involved individuals and their families when government benefit payments are seized as part of that tax refund.

Nursing Home Debt Collection Practices Put Residents’ Family and Friends At Risk

^{October 30, 2024}

This report looks at what happens when nursing homes pursue family members and friends to collect nursing home charges, which typically run more than $108,000 per year.

Cracking the Code: Understanding and Overcoming Language Barriers in Consumer Finance

^{September 24, 2024}

This report covers the ways that financial institutions across the financial services industry serve, or fail to serve, people with limited English proficiency.

Medical Debt Behind Bars: The Punishing Impact of Copays, Fees, and Other Carceral Medical Debt

^{September 6, 2024}

This report provides an overview of the carceral medical debt problem and policy recommendations and solutions to address the issue.

Protecting Access to Essential Utility Service During Extreme Heat and Climate Change

^{July 16, 2024}

This report examines the impacts of extreme heat on utility consumers and recommends immediate actions policymakers and regulators must take to safeguard utility services for under-resourced consumers facing extreme weather.

Student Loan Toolkit: A Guide for Advocates and Borrowers

^{May 20, 2024}

The Student Loan Toolkit explains the basics of the student loan system, how to assess your own student loan situation, and your options for managing your student loan debt.

Keeping it in the Family: Legal Strategies to Address the Challenge of Heirs Property and Prevent Home Loss

^{January 29, 2024}

Increasing home costs, economic crises, and persistent structural barriers to fair housing have contributed to a widening homeownership gap between white and Black households. This report highlights and evaluates the efficacy of various laws and policies aimed at helping owners of heirs property.

Digital Denials: How Abuse, Bias, and Lack of Transparency in Tenant Screening Harm Renters

^{September 26, 2023}

Each of the components of tenant screening reports is highly problematic and also creates a disparate impact on Black and Latino/Hispanic renters. The manner in which tenant screening CRAs combine these components to generate scores or recommendations also harms renters.

Health Care Plastic: The Risks of Medical Credit Cards

^{April 27, 2023}

This report discusses these medical credit cards in depth, beginning with a brief background section and then presenting the results of a survey of legal services attorneys, private attorneys, and other advocates regarding their clients’ experiences with medical credit cards. The report concludes with recommendations.