Consumer Reports writes today: Auto repair shops affiliated with well-known brands—including AAMCO, Big O Tires, Grease Monkey, Jiffy Lube, Meineke, Midas, and Precision Tune Auto Care—are steering unsuspecting customers into loans charging up to 189 percent interest, according to a study by consumer advocacy groups including Consumer Reports. While most states have interest-rate limits to […]
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The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau yesterday published an advisory opinion affirming that the Equal Credit Opportunity Act—a federal civil rights law that protects individuals and businesses against discrimination in accessing and using credit—bars lenders from discriminating against customers after they have received a loan, not just during the application process. Read the press release and […]
The Federal Trade Commission filed a complaint last Friday against a company called The Credit Game, which claimed it could boost credit scores through “credit piggybacking” and other credit repair services. The FTC's complaint against the operators of The Credit Game (formerly called Wholesale Tradelines) says that the services were a scam and that the […]
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau has finalized an enforcement action against Bank of America for processing illegal, out-of-state garnishment orders against customers’ bank accounts. The CFPB's press release, with links to relevant documents, is here.
After many months and multiple rounds of supplemental briefing in the wake of the Supreme Court’s decisions in Seila Law v. CFPB (2020) and Collins v. Yellen (2021), the en banc Fifth Circuit in CFPB v. All American Check Cashing finally decided—well, nothing. According to the 3-page, unsigned per curiam opinion issued by the court, […]
The Department of Education announced it will discharge the loans of tens of thousands of borrowers harmed by pervasive and widespread misconduct at Marinello Schools of Beauty. Borrowers who enrolled in the schools from 2009 through its closure in February 2016 will receive loan discharges totaling approximately $238 million. This group discharge includes former students […]
The Federal Trade Commission is proposing to extending protections against telemarketing tricks and traps to small businesses and strengthening safeguards against other pernicious telemarketing tactics aimed at consumers. That notice seeks comment on whether the FTC should amend the Telemarketing Sales Rule to prohibit misrepresentations in business-to-business calls, and whether the FTC should amend the […]
President Biden is reportedly looking at options to forgive most, if not all, federal student loan debt. He shared his plans during a 90-minute White House meeting Monday with members of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus. As CBS News reports, the move could affect more than 43 million borrowers who hold more than $1.6 trillion in […]
“The American retirement system is built for the rich — Lawmakers proclaim they want to help the middle class save. But that’s not who benefits most from IRAs and 401(k) plans.” Read this Washington Post essay on that topic by law prof Daniel Hemel.
A cautionary tale on forced arbitration: Uber’s platform Uber Eats allows customers to order takeout from various restaurants and have it delivered by a driver for a restaurant-specific delivery fee. Customers are required to agree to Uber's Terms of Use, which contains a provision stating that any dispute between the customer and Uber will be […]