Resources Archive

2021 Consumer Protection Priorities for a COVID Stimulus Package

December 10, 2020

The COVID crisis is creating a tsunami of debt. Even before COVID, 31% of Americans (42% in communities of color) had a debt in collection. With the unemployment rate still nearly double pre-pandemic levels (far higher for people of color), Congress needs to build levees now to keep Americans in their homes, cars, and jobs,…

Coalition Letter in Support of the FAIR Act

February 11, 2021

The undersigned organizations strongly support the Forced Arbitration Injustice Repeal (FAIR) Act. The legislation would ensure that workers, consumers, servicemembers, nursing home residents, ordinary investors, and small businesses harmed by bad actors will be able to bring valid claims in court, and would not be forced into private, secretive, corporate-controlled arbitration systems required by nonnegotiable…

Coalition Letter to Congress on Immediate Action Needed to Protect Economic Impact Payments from Garnishment

March 8, 2021

The undersigned consumer and banking industry organizations again write to urge Congress to protect the third round of economic impact payments in the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 from assignment and garnishment. Unless this issue is addressed, the second and third EIPs will be treated inconsistently—those in the second round exempt but those in…

Feed Families, Not Debt Collectors: Protect New Stimulus Payments and Child Tax Credits from Garnishment

March 1, 2021

Congress has enacted extraordinary relief for families hard hit by the COVID-19 pandemic. That relief includes two rounds of Economic Impact Payments (EIPs) and – in the new package about to be passed – a third round of EIP payments and enhanced Child Tax Credits (CTC) for low-income families, with half of the CTC payments…

Coalition Letter to Secretary Cardona Regarding the Borrower Defense Crisis

April 13, 2021

The undersigned organizations that work on higher education accountability, and advocate for students, military service members and veterans, low-income consumers, educators, and college administrators, as well as for educational equity, request your urgent attention to the borrower defense crisis you have inherited at the Department of Education. The federal student aid program is intended to…

Class Action Complaint in DeRosier v. Applied Data Finance

May 22, 2020

Plaintiff sues Defendant arguing it “offers personal loans from $1,000 to $10,000 with terms of 12, 24 or 36 months, and biweekly, semimonthly or monthly payment schedules.” The problem is that these online loans it solicited, funded, collected, and serviced for Florida consumers like Plaintiff and Class Members, are entirely illegal.

Letter to HUD Addressing COVID-Related Issues for HECM Borrowers and Spouses

October 13, 2021

The undersigned write to request that HUD take certain steps to ensure the ongoing housing stability of borrowers who have taken out reverse mortgages under FHA’s Home Equity Conversion Mortgage (HECM) program, and their non-borrowing spouses, in light of the current COVID-19 public health emergency. Older Americans face the greatest risk from the current pandemic,…

Legal Aid Coalition Comments to the Department of Education Regarding Intent to Establish Negotiated Rulemaking Committee: Title IV of the HEA

July 1, 2021

On behalf of our low-income clients and organizations across the country that provide free legal assistance to low-income student loan borrowers, the undersigned 38 legal services organization submitted these comments to address the U.S. Department of Education’s notice of intent to establish negotiated rulemaking committees to prepare proposed regulations for programs authorized under title IV…

Comments on Prepaid Accounts Under the EFTA and TILA

March 23, 2015

National Consumer Law Center, on behalf of its low income clients, submit the attached comments on the rules proposed by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) to protect prepaid cards under the Electronic Funds Transfer Act and the Truth in Lending Act. We support the CFPB’s proposal to extend to prepaid cards the critical protections…

Racial Disparities in Consumer Debt Collection

August 4, 2020

A strong rule from the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) is needed to protect consumers from abusive debt collection tactics, especially people of color, who are disproportionately subject to debt collection.

Seven Top Tips for Consumers to Stop Illegal Robocalls

December 16, 2024

There is no full-proof method to stop unwanted robocalls, and real solutions require that the Federal Communications Commission use the laws effectively to regulate robocallers and require phone companies to authenticate all calls. Yet, the following tips can help consumers take some control. 1. File complaints with the Federal Communications Commission: Complaint data is the best tool…

Group Comments to the OCC Regarding “National Banks and Federal Savings Associations as Lenders”

September 3, 2020

Comments in opposition the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency’s (OCC) proposed rule preempting the authority of states and courts to look beyond contrivances to the truth to prevent evasions of state usury laws. The proposal would eliminate state interest rate limits for nonbank predatory lenders in every state as long as a bank’s…

All Resources