Resources Archive

Consumer Stories Show Congress Must Protect Consumers from Predatory Lending

February 1, 2022

Since the American Revolution, states have limited interest rates to stop predatory lending. Although most states limit rates, loopholes and evasions make protections imperfect. These unscrupulous lenders target vulnerable consumers, including veterans, senior citizens, low-income consumers, rural consumers, and communities of color.

Protect Consumers from Predatory, Triple-Digit Interest Rate Loans

February 1, 2022

Congress should establish a simple, common sense limit on predatory lending by extending the Military Lending Act’s 36% interest rate cap to veterans, Gold Star Families, unactivated reservists, and all Americans.

Group Letter Urging Federally-Backed Investors & the CFPB to Improve Communications for Borrowers with Home Equity

August 31, 2022

A group of representatives from consumer advocacy, civil rights, and housing industryorganizations met to discuss an emerging issue. Namely, the rise in home prices over the last several years has resulted in positive equity for many homeowners, including borrowers who are delinquent and could possibly benefit from a retail sale of the property in lieu…

Comments to the Federal Reserve Regarding Docket No. R–1775: Proposed Regulation Implementing the LIBOR Act

August 29, 2022

We strongly support the Board’s proposed rule, particularly the determination that no conforming changes are needed for consumer loans. But we recommend two clarifications for non-covered consumer contracts: a) declare that the Board-selected benchmark replacement for non-covered consumer contracts is the same as the replacement selected for covered consumer contracts; and b) adopt a rule…

Opportunity Financial LLC v. the Department of Financial Protection and Innovation for the State of California

April 21, 2022

NCLC joined the Center for Responsible Lending, California Reinvestment Coalition, Consumer Federation of California, Public Law Center, and UC Berkeley Center for Consumer Law & Economic Justice in an amicus brief supporting the California Department of Financial Protection and Innovation in its effort to stop Opportunity Financial from evading California’s interest rate laws through rent-a-bank…

Rotkiske v. Klemm

January 8, 2019

The key question presented in this case is whether the discovery rule applies to toll the Fair Debt Collection Act’s (“FDCPA”) one-year statute of limitations. NCLC filed its own amicus brief in which we argued that debt collection, which affects millions of Americans each year, often is accompanied by deceptive or unfair practices, particularly by…

Guides to Confronting Criminal Justice Debt

September 1, 2016

This report is part of Confronting Criminal Justice Debt: A Comprehensive Project for Reform, a collaborative project by Criminal Justice Policy Program (CJPP) at Harvard Law School and the National Consumer Law Center (NCLC). This project includes three parts designed to assist attorneys and advocates working on reform of criminal justice debt:

Letter Urging Federal Reserve Board to Prevent FedNow Errors and Fraud

August 10, 2022

As the Federal Reserve Board (FRB) continues its work to launch the FedNow Service, we urge the Federal Reserve Banks to take additional steps to prevent bad actors from using FedNow to steal funds from members of the public and to address errors. We are disappointed that the Board declined our request to incorporate fraud and error protections into the final Regulation J rule, but we appreciate the Board’s statement that it is “committed to promoting the development and implementation of industry-wide measures to help financial institutions detect and prevent fraud.”

Letter Supporting H.R. 7949: The "Stay Cool" Act

August 19, 2022

Letter in support of the "Stay Cool" Act sponsored by Rep. Watson Coleman.

Comments to Dept. of Transportation Regarding National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Formula Program

August 22, 2022

Comments to inform the development of the EV Charging Program, addressing Sections 680.106, 680.112, and 680.116 of the proposed regulations.

Credit Monitoring: A Bad Deal for Consumers

September 12, 2022

Credit monitoring bundles can be expensive and ineffective, and they do not prevent identity theft. Even worse, they may prevent consumers from filing a lawsuit for errors in their credit reports.

Writing a letter to the editor

August 4, 2021

Writing a letter to the editor (LTE) of your local or regional newspaper is a quick and effective way to reach a targeted audience. Members of Congress keep a close eye on media coverage back home and look to the letters page to keep their finger on the ‘pulse’ of their constituents.

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