When likely voters across the country were recently asked their opinions about student loan borrowing, 82% agreed that the still-growing $1.5 trillion debt is a national crisis. Even when partisan affiliations were included, the solid concern for this unsustainable financial burden held strong: 74% of Republicans, 80% of independents, and 90% of Democrats. ... read more »

Anyone who struggles with the rising costs of living knows all too well how hard it is to try stretching dollars when there’s more month than money in the household. Predatory lending, like payday and car-title loans, worsen financial stress with triple-digit interest rates that deepen the debt owed with each renewal.    ... read more »

Anyone who works for a living knows that their money goes a lot quicker than the time it takes to earn it. And for low-to-moderate income workers, the costs of everyday living creep higher and quicker than pay raises or cost-of-living adjustments.  ... read more »

In an increasingly competitive global economy, highly skilled workers have a sharp advantage in securing and keeping employment. And as technological advances result in life-long learning in many occupations, many worker-students turn to federal student aid, the largest source of funding for higher education, to expand and/or hone their value in the marketplace. ... read more »

In recent weeks, multiple news sources have reported on the 10-year anniversary since the onset of the nation’s foreclosure crisis. Between 2007 and 2011, 10.9 million homes went into foreclosure, with 8 million completing that process. Additionally, $1.95 trillion in lost property value affected both families who lost their homes to foreclosure, as well as their nearby neighbors who remained in their homes. ... read more »

The 2018 poll, conducted by Lake Research Partners and Chesapeake Beach Consulting, found that among respondents more than 90 percent viewed regulation of financial services to be very important, and registered support across partisan affiliations. Among Republicans, 85 percent supported regulation, compared to 92 percent of independents and 96 percent of Democrats. ... read more »

Starting last summer, student loan servicers like Navient have been lobbying DeVos to shield them from liability for their practices. And it’s worked. Despite objections from a bi-partisan group of Attorneys General (AGs), the National Association of Governors, and the Conference of State Bank Supervisors, DeVos and the Department of Education have increasingly made it more difficult for state and federal law enforcement agencies to do their jobs by retracting information sharing agreements with the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) and instructing servicers not share student loan information with state law enforcement and banking supervisors. ... read more »

The unfortunate result for citizens is that we’re just not getting any value from this key office these days. The Dodd-Frank Consumer Protection and Wall Street Reform Act is clear as to the responsibilities given to CFPB. Under the previous director, billions of dollars were returned to consumers for a host of illegal and deceptive acts by predatory financial institutions. These achievements were accomplished with the support of a dedicated staff. ... read more »

Besides deep debt incurred to gain a college education, another sphere of concern presents yet another financial hurdle: student loan defaults. ... read more »

The press release said that, “The OCC took these actions given the severity of the deficiencies and violations of law, the financial harm to consumers, and the bank’s failure to correct the deficiencies and violations in a timely manner.” ... read more »

Advocates must also remain watchful for any congressional actions that may be taken to preempt or undermine consumer protections. ... read more »

More than 40 national organizations joined in noting DOE’s apparent failure to embrace its duties in civil rights when it comes to higher education. ... read more »

Congresswoman Waters prefers a legislative approach – one that will ensure this type of financial disaster from happening again. ... read more »

As a New Year approaches, fair lending will be the priority for the nation’s consumer financial cop on the beat. Mortgage and student loan servicing along with redlining and small business lending will be a triple-focus in 2017 for the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB). ... read more »