CRL – Los Angeles Sentinel

A year of COVID-19 brought record consumer debt and collection complaints

Charlene Crowell April 15, 2021

After more than a year of COVID-19, the nation’s collective ability to cope with dual public health and economic crises has diminished many consumers’ ability to remain financially stable. While this February’s national employment report by the Bureau of Labor Statistics showed a net gain of 379,000 jobs and white unemployment dropped to 5.6%, there was no corresponding improvement for Black and Latino workers. Instead, unemployment was respectively higher at 9.9% and 8.5%.

News Political

Dodd-Frank and the fight for a better America

Thandisizwe Chimurenga Contributing WriterJuly 31, 2020

“Predatory mortgage lenders started by targeting Black and Brown communities where they began climbing away at the hard-earned wealth of Black and Brown families. And too few people in power could be relied on to care: not the investors making money hand over fist, not the regulators who were cozy with the banks; not the pundits who blamed the borrowers; not the lenders who were boosting their products,”

Business Charlene Crowell News (Business)Opinion

Don’t Let Small Dollar Loans Ruin Your Holidays

Charlene CrowellDecember 13, 2018

In this wonderful time of the year when family and friends gather in good cheer to celebrate the holidays, nearly everyone has a number of lists. From greeting cards to shopping for gifts, decorations and more, lists are made and reviewed to keep pace with the barrage of seasonal activities.

Charlene Crowell Opinion

For-Profit College Students Share Sagas of Debt and Disillusionment

Charlene CrowellSeptember 27, 2018

College students today come in many ages and from many backgrounds. In addition to recent high school graduates, there are laid off workers who need updated skills, and single heads of household returning to school to better provide for their families. Veterans seeking to transition to civilian life are also seeking higher education as a way out and up the financial ladder.

Business Charlene Crowell News (Business)Opinion

Racial Mortgage Disparities Persist as Federal Housing Enforcement Lags

Charlene CrowellMay 9, 2018

Today, with much of the mortgage market recovered, unnecessarily tight and expensive credit in the conventional mortgage market often makes FHA the only option to finance homeownership for low- to moderate-income borrowers, lower-wealth borrowers, and borrowers of color. This single-option also means that borrowers broadly denied the lower-cost, most-affordable private loans available, have a slower rate of home appreciation due to fees and insurance that accompany government-backed loans.

Business Charlene Crowell Economy Finance News (Business)

Black Students Hit Hard by For-Profit College Debt New Center for Responsible Lending Report Says For-Profit Education “a Risky Proposition”

Charlene Crowell Communications Deputy Director, Center for Responsible LendingJanuary 11, 2018

Similarly, Elena, a 35-year-old Latina enrolled in a for-profit institution after seeing television commercials for the local branch of Everest College targeted at those without a GED, like herself.

Charlene Crowell

New CRL Research: For-Profit Colleges Promise But Seldom Deliver Gainful Employment

Charlene CrowellJanuary 4, 2018

Veterans educational benefits are additional taxpayer-paid revenues.

Op-Ed Opinion

Abusive Debt Collectors Target Black Consumers

Charlene Crowell, Contributing WriterDecember 18, 2015

An old adage teaches that one man’s pain is another’s gain. That adage is a truism when it comes to the debt collection industry.
According to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), debt buyers pay just 3.1 percent on the dollar for defaulted debts. Additionally, 94 percent of these debts are sold with without documentation.
So why would a business bother with buying old and potentially inaccurate credit claims? The answer is money and lots of it.