We support reforms to the financial marketplace to curb bad practices by banks and lenders.
research
Report: Mobile payments could be risky for consumers
CU report highlights how protections vary widely when consumers pay with their mobile phones
Adding It All Up: How Prepaid Card Fees Compare to Checking Account Fees
Adding It All Up: How Prepaid Card Fees Compare to Checking Account Fees Prepaid cards are reloadable cards that can be used just like checking account-linked debit cards and are becoming the foundation of a second tier banking system used by a growing number of consumers. While prepaid cards are becoming increasingly popular, consumers who Continue Reading
Categories: Prepaid Cards
Tags: research
New CU Article: How to Make Every Way to Pay Safe for Mobile Payments
Read a draft of our new article discussing the mobile payments market, the major risks it poses for consumers, and the few simple fixes that would ensure all consumers making mobile payments have guaranteed consumer protections.
Public Benefits and Wages on Prepaid Cards: Better Protections Needed Now
Consumers Union and National Consumer Law Center call for better consumer choices and protections against high fees associated with government- and employer-issued prepaid cards
Categories: Government Issued Cards, Payments, Payroll Cards
Tags: research
Mobile Payments: Issues for Consumers
Prepaid Cards: Second-Tier Bank Account Substitutes
Prepaid Cards: Second-Tier Bank Account Substitutes Consumers Union, the nonprofit publisher of Consumer Reports ® By: Michelle Jun, Staff Attorney With Consumer Federation of America and National Consumer Law Center, on behalf of their low-income clients September 2010 Prepaid cards are widely marketed as more convenient, safe and cost effective, a straightforward way to manage Continue Reading
Categories: Payments, Prepaid Cards
Tags: research
Stopping the Payday Loan Trap: Alternatives That Work, One’s That Don’t
This report, by the National Consumer Law Center, examines over 100 payday loan alternatives and finds many that are genuine alternatives and others that are a payday loan by any other name. The report describes the history of the 36% rate cap and explains why, to be a safe and affordable alternative to a payday Continue Reading
Categories: Uncategorized
Tags: loans, Payday Loans, research
2010 Updated small Dollar Loan Products Scorecard & Statutory Update
Many states are failing to provide adequate protections for consumers against extremely expensive credit according to a new report by the National Consumer Law Center, Consumer Federation of America, and Consumers Union. The Scorecard updates a 2008 report and grades states on how well they protect consumers from excessive interest charges on small loan products. Continue Reading
Categories: Uncategorized
Tags: research
Americans for Financial Reform: Why we need federal oversight of nonbank lenders
Credit Scores: Issues In a Changing Environment
This is a PowerPoint presentation given by Gail Hillebrand for a workshop titled “The Growing Influence of Credit Scores” at the Consumer Assembly 2010.
Categories: Credit Reports
Tags: research
