The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau today issued a report that found that attempts by online lenders to debit payments from a consumer’s checking account add a steep, hidden cost to online payday loans. Half of online borrowers rack up an average of $185 in bank penalties because at least one debit attempt overdrafts or fails. And one third of those borrowers who get hit with a bank penalty wind up having their account closed involuntarily. The study also found that despite this high cost to consumers, lenders’ repeated debit attempts typically fail to collect payments.
The report is here.
