Resources Archive

Letter to the Federal Reserve Regarding Actions to Support Interbank Settlement of Faster Payments

November 7, 2019

Comments in support of the Federal Reserve’s plan to develop the FedNow faster payments system.

Comments to the Massachusetts Trial Court Public Access to Court Records Committee regarding criminal cases and internet access to docket entries and court files

The following comments are submitted on behalf of the National Consumer Law Center’s low-income clients. We write in response to your Notice of Public Hearing on the issue of providing access to court documents and records on the internet. We write to specifically oppose providing online access to criminal records and believe that doing so…

New Protections for Payroll Cards

March 28, 2019

Effective April 1, 2019, a new Prepaid Accounts rule issued by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) gives payroll card accounts new protections. The rule amends and enhances the protection that payroll cards already have under the Electronic Fund Transfer Act (EFTA) and Regulation E.

New Protections for Government Benefit Prepaid Cards

March 28, 2019

Effective April 1, 2019, a new Prepaid Accounts Rule issued by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) gives certain government benefit accounts new protections. The rule amends and enhances the protection that many government benefit accounts already have under the Electronic Fund Transfer Act (EFTA) and Regulation E.

Paper Statements: An Important Consumer Protection

March 1, 2016

Electronic statements sound eco-friendly, but they are not for everyone. Bank account, credit card and mortgage statements provide important information and serve a critical consumer protection function. Consumers must have the right to receive that information in the manner that works for them. For many consumers, from those without regular broadband Internet access to the…

NCLC Comments to CFPB on Consumers’ Access to Their Own Financial Account Data

February 21, 2017

Comments to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau re: Comments in Response to Requests for Information: Consumer Access to Financial Records, Docket No. CFPB-2016-0048.

Account Screening Consumer Reporting Agencies: a Banking Access Perspective

October 1, 2015

Access to safe and affordable financial products and services is a cornerstone of financial empowerment: this access allows consumers to secure their income and build and grow their assets. However, there are almost 17 million unbanked Americans who do not have bank accounts. These consumers incur higher costs — estimated at up to $40,000 over a lifetime — by using alternative financial services, sometimes predatory, to handle their routine transactions, and often are not able to take advantage of savings and asset building opportunities.

Consumer Facts: Your Right to Know

April 27, 2011

Issue Brief about the Direct Express® Prepaid Debit Card For Social Security, SSI and Other Federal Payments.

The Role of the States under the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act of 2010

December 1, 2010

The Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act of 2010 overhauls the federal consumer protection system. The Act creates a Consumer Financial Protection Bureau charged with protecting consumers from unscrupulous practices by mortgage lenders, credit card companies, and others in the financial world.

Restore the States’ Traditional Role as “First Responder”

September 1, 2009

Consumer protection in the financial world has been dramatically weakened in the last several years by preemption of state consumer protection laws. Broad preemption of state law is a recent phenomenon; for most of the 150 years since national banks were created, they have complied with state law. Preemption has harmed states’ ability to respond…

Consumer Comments to FDIC Opposing Rent-a-Bank Arrangements

October 27, 2016

The undersigned national and state consumer, legal services and civil rights groups have submitted these comments on the FDIC’s proposed Third-Party Lending Guidance (Third-Party Guidance).

Confronting Criminal Justice Debt: A Guide for Policy Reform

September 6, 2016

CJPP has developed a Guide for Policy Reform, which highlights the different areas of law that spawn harmful practices and outlines a wide array of policy levers for bringing about systemic reform. The guide provides a detailed discussion of policy strategies for (1) addressing conflicts of interest that arise when legal actors rely on revenue generated…

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