Unions, civil rights organizations and so-called netroots political activists all signed onto the letter, aligning with groups like the Consumer Federation of America and Americans for Financial Reform that typically monitor the agencies.
AFR was among 25 organizations that signed-on to comments by the National Consumer Law Center on evaluating undue hardship claims in student loan bankruptcy. You can view or download the PDF here.
For its Head of Consumer Protection, the FTC chose a lawyer, Andrew Smith, who worked for both payday lenders and Equifax. The FTC needs a someone with a record of consumer protection, not yet another industry lawyer
“Congress has done the right thing in allowing the rule to stand. Now the spotlight is on Mick Mulvaney. Will he move ahead on his plans to unravel it, and continue to cater to the payday lenders who gave generously to his campaigns?” said Lisa Donner, executive director at AFR.
“Deposit advance” loans are payday loans, pure and simple, and data clearly show they create the same debt trap caused by non-bank payday loans. High-cost longer-term loans facilitated by banks and credit unions would also cause customers substantial harm. We also urge you to ensure that all financial institutions engaged in small dollar lending (1) limit interest rates to 36% or less, and (2) determine borrowers’ ability to repay their loans by assessing both income and expenses rather than engaging in collateral-based income-only underwriting.”
“Mulvaney dismantling the Office for Students is a move that deliberately makes life harder for America’s 44 million student loan borrowers. At a time when student borrowers need allies in government more than ever, Mick Mulvaney and the Trump Administration have left them out in the cold.”
AFR released the policy brief linked below concerning the role of private equity in the Toys R’ Us bankruptcy and the importance of taking action to limit private equity predation on the businesses they own. The Toys R’ Us Bankruptcy And Private Equity Predation.
“What Mulvaney is really interested in is not serious research, but information that advances the interests of the Wall Street banks and predatory lenders he serves.”
“America is facing an ongoing student debt crisis, with outstanding student debt surpassing $1.5 trillion and over 8 million borrowers in default on their student loans. Closing the Office for Students is like shuttering the fire department in the middle of a three-alarm fire,” said Alexis Goldstein, senior policy analyst at Americans for Financial Reform.
“‘“Companies will put millions of people into more expensive car loans simply because of the color of their skin,, said Rion Dennis, an advocate of financial overhaul at Americans for Financial Reform. ‘By using the Congressional Review Act to wipe out straightforward regulatory guidance, the congressional majority has also opened the door to challenging longstanding efforts to protect workers, consumers, civil rights, the environment and the economy.’”