Resources Archive

The Sallie Mae Saga: A Government-Created, Student Debt Fueled Profit Machine

January 16, 2014

Student loan debt levels keep growing. There are nearly 39 million borrowers carrying over $1 trillion in federal student loan debt. About $120 billion of federal student loan debt was delinquent in 2012 — a 30.5% increase from fiscal year 2011. Most borrowers fall behind on student loan payments because they are unable to complete…

No Lost Causes: Practical Ideas to Help Low-Income Students Succeed in College

March 26, 2014

A college education usually pays off. According to College Board statistics, individuals with higher levels of education earn more money and are more likely to be employed. College is a key ticket to social mobility in this country, but punching this ticket is rarely straightforward. On one hand, the earnings advantage is due more to…

Going to School on Robo-signing: How to Help Borrowers and Stop the Abuses in Private Student Loan Collection Cases

April 1, 2014

Predatory private student lending has shattered the dreams of many individuals who sought to better their lives through education. These loans have become a curse, rather than an opportunity, for a large and growing number of private student loan borrowers who are defaulting on their loans. Data is not publicly available on precisely which borrowers…

Student Loan “Debt Relief” Industry Targets Desperate Borrowers

June 19, 2013

NCLC released a new report today, Searching for Relief: Desperate Borrowers and the Growing Student Loan Debt Relief Industry. This industry has sprung up in response to the demand for student loan borrower assistance and this report documents multiple problems as well as potential violations of consumer federal and state laws. Given the many misrepresentations…

Letter to the California State Assembly in Support of The End Debtor's Prison Act (AB 1266 - Kalra)

April 14, 2023

The National Consumer Law Center (NCLC) supports the End Debtor’s Prison Act (Assembly Bill 1266), introduced by Assemblymember Ash Kalra. This bill would amend the penal and vehicle codes to end bench warrants to arrest people for infractions when they do not appear in court or pay a fine. Under current state law, people who…

Group Letter to the Senate Appropriations Committee RE: the Low Income Household Water Assistance Program (LIHWAP)

April 5, 2023

The undersigned organizations and municipalities urge Congress to allocate $1 billion to continue the existing separate and independent Low Income Household Water Assistance Program (LIHWAP) program to help families with growing water debt and rising water costs.

Data on Earned Wage Advances and Fintech Payday Loan “Tips” Show High Costs for Low-Wage Workers

April 10, 2023

Data collected by the California Department of Financial Protection and Innovation (DFPI) on earned wage advances and other fintech payday loans show a cycle of repeat use and high costs typical of traditional payday loans. DFPI analyzed data covering nearly 6 million transactions by California consumers from seven companies. Three companies had a tip-based model…

Comments in Response to Request for Information Regarding the Credit Card Market, Docket No. CFPB-2017-0006

June 8, 2017

The National Consumer Law Center is pleased to submit the following comments on behalf of our low-income clients to the CFPB’s 2017 Request for Information (RFI) Regarding the Credit Card Market. The CFPB’s request for information is pursuant to the Credit Card Accountability, Responsibility and Disclosure (CARD) Act of 2009, which requires the CFPB to…

Group Comments to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Regarding Regulation Z, 12 C.F.R. Part 1026

January 7, 2013

The National Consumer Law Center and Consumer Action respectfully submit the following comments on behalf of its low-income clients. We welcome the opportunity to comment on the Bureau’s proposal to amend the ability-to-pay requirement of Regulation Z, 12 C.F.R. § 1026.51(a), which was promulgated pursuant to the Credit Card Accountability, Responsibility and Disclosures (CARD) Act…

Risks of Utility Shutoffs Are Rising in Massachusetts

April 10, 2023

The National Consumer Law Center has compiled Massachusetts gas and electric arrearage data collected in DPU docket 20-58 through February 2023. Here we provide a brief update to previous reports released in February 2021, November 2021, and November 2022 on the state of arrears in MA. As of April 1, the winter moratorium that protects…

Request to Bureau of Prisons to Not Move Forward with Proposed Changes to "Inmate Financial Responsibility Program" Until It Responds to FOIA Request

April 4, 2023

NCLC (on behalf of its low-income clients), Fines and Fees Justice Center, FICPFM, Just Future Project, Civil Rights Corps, JustLeadershipUSA, Southern Poverty Law Center, Washington Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights and Urban Affairs, and Worth Rises ask for the public record to reflect that the undersigned organizations believe DOJ, BOP, and the public record lack…

The LIBOR Is Ending: What Consumer Advocates Should Know

May 3, 2023

The LIBOR is a benchmark index, also known as a reference rate, that is commonly used in millions of adjustable rate mortgages, home equity lines of credit (HELOCs), and student loans. Although it is still widely used, the index will no longer be available in its current form after June 30, 2023 and will cease…

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