National Consumer Law Center

Rent-To-Own Industry, Long Criticized For Preying On Military, Tries A Different Tactic

The Huffington Post | Alice Hines | Posted 04.20.2012

Read More: Department of Defense, Predatory Lending, National Consumer Law Center, Rent to Own, Rent to Own Military, Aaron's, Joining Forces, Rent a Center, Business News

Rent-to-own furniture stores, once branded as "predatory lenders" by the Department of Defense, are now pledging to hire veterans returning from duty....

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New Child Support System Could Cost Poor Men Their Only Income

AP | DANIEL WAGNER | Posted 04.28.2012

Read More: Social Security Administration, Center for Constitutional Litigation, Federal Benefits, Treasury Department, Department of Health and Human Services, Social Security, National Consumer Law Center, Idaho Department of Health and Welfare, Disability, Veterans' Benefits, Child Support, Debit Cards, Business News

WASHINGTON -- Old child support debts could cost thousands of poor men their only income next year because of a policy aimed at reducing the cost to t...

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Alice Hines

Rent-A-Center CEO: New Consumer Bureau Won’t Have Authority Over Us

HuffingtonPost.com | Alice Hines | Posted 02.03.2012

Read More: Richard Cordray, Dodd-Frank, Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, Cfpb, National Consumer Law Center, Rent-to-Own, Aaron's, Super Bowl, Rent a Center, Business News

Ahead of Sunday's Super Bowl, many cash-strapped football fans will head to Rent-A-Center, America's largest "rent-to-own" retailer, to look for TVs. ...

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Lost In The Funhouse: The Twisted World Of Mortgage Lender Error

Ben Hallman | Posted 01.27.2012

Read More: JPMorgan Chase, Video, Foreclosure Crisis, Freddie Mac, Wall Street, Wells Fargo, GMAC Home Mortgage, National Consumer Law Center, Bank of America, Fannie Mae, Foreclosure, The Great Recession, Mortgage Payment, Realtytrac, Interest Rate, Business News

Ben Hallman reported and wrote this story as a staff writer at the Center for Public Integrity. He recently joined The Huffington Post. Like milli...

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The 'Most Egregious Manifestation' Of The Mortgage Crisis

Reuters | Posted 03.27.2012

Read More: Interest Rates, Loan, Credit Report, Foreclosure Crisis, Video, Wall Street, Housing Boom, Wells Fargo, Reuters, National Consumer Law Center, Mortgage Crisis, Foreclosure, Mortgage Payment, National Association of Consumer Advocate, Business News

By Michelle Conlin Jan 25 (Reuters) - In July 2009, Roy and Sheila Bowers refinanced the mortgage on their suburban ranch home in Tope...

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Janell Ross

For Families On Welfare, Few Protections From Theft And Fraud

HuffingtonPost.com | Janell Ross | Posted 12.14.2011

Read More: Fraud, EBT Cards, Western Center on Law and Poverty, Welfare, California, Electronic Benefit Transfer Cards, Electronic Benefit Transfers, Secret Service, National Consumer Law Center, Law Suit, Theft, Business News

On a fall day in October 2009, Evelyn Carpio's wallet never left her side. Yet criminals somehow managed to steal $720 from the card Carpio's fam...

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BofA Signs HUD Pact Worth Millions Over Faulty Loss Mitigation

American Banker | Kate Berry and Jeff Horwitz | Posted 10.04.2011

Read More: Bank of America, National Consumer Law Center, Hud, American Banker, Urban Development, The Department of Housing, Robert Gaither, Fha, Business News

The Department of Housing and Urban Development has reached a settlement with Bank of America that releases the company from liability for failing to ...

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Arthur Delaney

States Shortchange The Unemployed With Junk Debit Card Fees

HuffingtonPost.com | Arthur Delaney | Posted 07.11.2011

Read More: National Consumer Law Center, Prepaid Debit Cards, Unemployment Benefits, Unemployment, Unemployment Debit Cards, Unemployment Debit Card Fees, Debit Card Fees, Business News

WASHINGTON -- Many states shortchange the jobless by distributing unemployment benefits on debit cards loaded with obnoxious fees, according to a new ...

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Chris Kirkham

For-Profit Colleges Selling Students On High-Risk Loans, Consumer Group Says

HuffingtonPost.com | Chris Kirkham | Posted 05.25.2011

Read More: Education, College, Student Debt, National Consumer Law Center, Higher Education, Student Loans, Consumer Law Center, For-Profit Colleges, Business News

Many of the large corporations that own for-profit colleges are increasingly issuing their own in-house private loans to students -- even though some ...

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The Payday Industry's Powerful Friend

Gary Rivlin | Posted 05.25.2011

Read More: Consumers Union, Payday Lending, Lynn DeVault, Consumer Federation of America, Community FInancial Services Association, Financial Reform, National Consumer Law Center, Richard Shelby, Payday Loans, Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, Kay Hagan, Politics News
Gary Rivlin

The country's payday lenders and check cashers gave more in campaign donations to Senator Richard Shelby (R-Ala.) than any other Republican in Congress.

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Shahien Nasiripour

Foreclosures Are More Profitable Than Loan Modifications, According To New Report

HuffingtonPost.com | Shahien Nasiripour | Posted 05.25.2011

Read More: Foreclosures, National Consumer Law Center, Foreclosures Over Loan Modifications, Foreclosures Favored, Housing Crisis, Video, Business News

Mortgage companies are more likely to foreclose on homeowners than modify their loans because they make more money off foreclosures, argues a new repo...

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Shahien Nasiripour

Reverse Mortgages Are "Subprime Revisited," Says Consumer Law Group

HuffingtonPost.com | Shahien Nasiripour | Posted 05.25.2011

Read More: National Consumer Law Center, Subprime Mortgage Market, Mortgages, Reverse Mortgages Elderly, Reverse Mortgages, Subprime Mortgage, Video, Business News

Many of the now-discredited practices that enabled the subprime mortgage market to boom and then bust have reappeared in the reverse mortgage business...

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