Category Archives: Press Releases

News Release: Coalition tells SEC Rules Must Stop Wall Street Greenwashing & Other Exaggerated Claims that Mislead Investors

More than 90 organizations—including the Action Center on Race and the Economy (ACRE) and Americans for Financial Reform Education Fund (AFREF) —submitted two comment letters to the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) today urging the agency to enshrine stronger rules for environmental, social, and governance (ESG) investing to stop the current practice of “greenwashing.”

SEC Building

News Release: SEC ESG Rule aims to End Greenwashing and Increase Transparency

As the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) closes a comment period on two proposed rules that would create a standard framework for funds classified as environmental, social, and governance (ESG), advocacy groups today called on the agency to adopt stricter standards for the fastest-growing investment asset sector in the world.

Statement: AFR Condemns Overturning of Roe v. Wade

A decades-long campaign to overturn Roe vs. Wade has succeeded thanks to a hard-right turn by a Supreme Court packed with justices appointed by President Trump. The right to abortion is more than a medical procedure. Reproductive freedom is an element of economic justice, and the restrictions and bans that are not long in coming will surely fall hardest on Black and Brown communities. Congress needs to act quickly to secure this right.

News Release: New Report and Consumer Alert Flag Deceptive Auto Repair Financing Practices

WASHINGTON – A report released today by the Stop The Debt Trap coalition finds auto repair shops across the country are offering predatory loans through EasyPay Finance and Transportation Alliance Bank (TAB Bank) that promise no interest if paid in 90 days but end up carry annual interest rates up to 189% – even in states where a rate that high is illegal. The report highlights some of the hundreds of complaints detailing deceptive and abusive practices concerning loans by EasyPay Finance, its parent company Duvera Billing Services, and Utah-based bank, TAB Bank, which helps EasyPay evade state laws. EasyPay Finance loans are available at auto repair and tire shops around the country, including at major chains such as AAMCO, Big O Tires, Grease Monkey, JiffyLube, Meineke, Midas, and Precision Tune Auto Care.

News Release: Dumping Bad-Actor Big Banks? New Report Shows How

A new report shows how American individuals and municipalities can move money away from bad-actor big banks, which are increasingly losing trust and support among Americans because of policies that undermine communities, damage the environment, and harm poor folks and people of color. While the idea of breaking up with big banks has become increasingly popular, the practicalities of doing so can seem prohibitive.