Digital Library Archives

New 2026 Edition of Surviving Debt Offers Expanded Resources for People Struggling in Affordability Crisis

April 14, 2026

Free Online Guide Provides New Resources for Dealing with Medical Debt, Student Debt, Disaster Relief, and Property Tax Foreclosures

Digital Library: 7 Biggest Mistakes When Attacking an Arbitration Requirement

March 16, 2026

This article describes seven of the biggest mistakes consumer litigants make in responding to arbitration provisions.

Digital Library: An Introduction to Ratio Utility Billing Systems for Tenant Advocates

February 15, 2026

This article discusses what RUBS billing is, what makes RUBS billing different, and how it may be worse for tenants than other types of utility billing.

Digital Library: Seven Key Changes to the FHA Waterfall

January 26, 2026

The rights of homeowners facing financial hardship to modify their FHA-insured mortgage payments are of special significance.

Digital Library: FDCPA: 2025 in Review

January 5, 2026

This article examines the most significant 2025 Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA) developments.

Digital Library: New Consumer Law Changes Taking Effect in 2026

January 5, 2026

This article lists federal and state consumer law changes scheduled to go into effect or expire during the period from December 1, 2025, through January 1, 2027. Other consumer law changes will be enacted in 2026 and will go into effect in 2026; this article lists changes whose effective dates have already been scheduled as…

Digital Library: Tenth Circuit Limits Rent-a-Bank Schemes

Predatory lenders use rent-a-bank schemes to evade state usury limits and charge astronomical rates—100%, 500% and even higher—that are illegal in as many as 45 states. In a classic rent-a-bank scheme, a high-cost lender “rents” a state bank chartered in a state without usury limits for banks and then evades other states’ usury caps by…

Digital Library: Successful Challenges to Earned Wage Payday Loans

November 12, 2025

Earned wage payday loans, also known as payday loan apps, earned wage access products, earned wage advances, or fintech payday loans, are a fast-growing payday lending scheme. Typically claiming not to be loans and to charge no interest, these schemes are set up to evade federal and state consumer lending laws. This article explains why earned…

Digital Library: Essential Strategies for Disaster Recovery

September 30, 2025

This article advises homeowners on steps to take after natural disasters: addressing immediate needs; FEMA aid and other sources of help and grants; avoiding insurance, home repair, and municipal code problems; floodplain requirements; handling long-term financial difficulties; and preparing for the next natural disaster.

Digital Library: 6 Keys to Challenging Electronic Terms & Conditions

September 12, 2025

The unique nature of electronic contracts and electronic signatures provides grounds to challenge their enforceability.

Digital Library: Courts Expose Deception of Home Equity “Investments”

August 15, 2025

Home equity “investment” (HEI) loans, often marketed as a quick way for homeowners to get cash without the burden of monthly payments, are facing a new wave of legal challenges. Recent court decisions, including a significant ruling from the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, are upholding claims against HEI loans. Courts are increasingly recognizing that…

Digital Library: A Consumer Practitioner’s Guide to the Reconciliation Bill

July 17, 2025

The massive Reconciliation Bill, Public Law 119-21 (July 4, 2025), cuts essential medical and food benefits for millions of Americans, increases costs for student loan borrowers, and eliminates incentives for energy-efficient investments, among its other provisions. This article focuses on provisions of special interest to consumer law practitioners and legal services attorneys.

All