Beware Predatory Puppy Loans

 From NewsBreak:

Consumer advocates are calling out EasyPay Finance and Utah-based TAB Bank for their roles in predatory loans for financing puppies. These loans can carry rates up to 189%. Consumer and animal welfare advocates joined together to issue a report on the practices of EasyPay and their bank partner TAB Bank.

EasyPay offers financing for purchases at pet stores, auto mechanics, furniture stores and other retailers at rates ranging from 130% to 189% APR. In 32 states where those rates are illegal, EasyPay launders its loans through TAB Bank, headquartered in Utah, to disguise the loans as bank loans that are exempt from state rate caps.

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Who is enabling payday predators?

 From NewsBreak:

The District of Columbia yesterday announced a settlement with online lender Elevate that will refund millions of dollars to consumers. The agreement was reached as a result of Elevate violating interest rate caps in DC — the maximum rate for a loan there is 24%.

Loans at 99% to 251% Interest?!?. Rent-a-bank lender Elevate pays $4… | by Andy Spears | Feb, 2022 | Medium

In order to get around the rate cap, Elevate partnered with a Utah bank known as FinWise. Utah’s ABC4 has more:

Elevate Credit, Inc. (Elevate) was laundering loans with up 149% APR to D.C. consumers through Utah FinWise Bank to evade DC’s interest rate limits.

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Consumers Beware: OppFi Loans is Breaking the Law

 From NewsBreak:

The Chicago Sun-Times reports that online lender OppFi engaged in a shadow lobbying campaign to overturn Illinois’ new Predatory Loan Prevention Act (PLPA) which caps interest rates on payday loans at 36%.

Pritzker Signs Predatory Loan Prevention Act

The Illinois law knocked out of business those who dealt in auto-title and personal loans, payday advances and other forms of finance whose interest rates are well into the triple digits, often 400% and higher. It caused big trouble for Chicago-based Opportunity Financial, which does business as OppFi.

While online lenders like OppFi often use a “rent-a-bank” strategy to circumvent state rate caps, the Illinois law prevents OppFi from using that tactic in Illinois.

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Banks Fronting for Legalized Loan Sharks

 From NewsBreak: 

The Consumer Federation of America (CFA) was joined by more than a dozen other consumer advocacy groups in calling on the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) to take action against predatory lending.

“Last year, Congress took a stand against the harmful rent-a-bank model that is being used by predatory payday and installment lenders to make triple-digit interest rate loans that are illegal across the country by overturning the “fake lender” rule,” said Rachel Gittleman, Financial Services Outreach Manager with Consumer Federation of America. “But rent-a-bank lenders are alive and well, using a few FDIC-regulated banks to peddle predatory loans to consumers throughout the country. The FDIC must stop permitting its supervised banks from engaging in this harmful behavior.”

In a letter, the groups said:

“FDIC-supervised banks are helping predatory lenders make loans up to 225% APR that are illegal in almost every state. 

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Should You Get a Loan from a Cartoon Bear?

 From Medium:

Jason Wilk is the CEO of a banking app that wants to help you out — and keep you from paying expensive overdraft fees. At least, that’s the premise behind the “Dave” app that allows consumers to take out payday advance loans of up to $250 right from their phones.

Adam Hardy writes in Money.com that a number of cash-advance apps are suggesting they offer a viable alternative to payday loans but may instead offer a similar product in a more tech-friendly package.

Hardy reviews the policies and practices of apps such as Dave, Earnin, and Brigit and finds that:

“. . .consumer experts warn their fees are just as bad as — if not worse than — traditional payday loan APRs, with rates that can easily top 300%. And, they say, the apps can actually trigger overdraft fees.”

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On the Risks of Cash-Advance Apps

 From NewsBreak:

Adam Hardy writes in Money.com that a number of cash-advance apps are suggesting they offer a viable alternative to payday loans but may instead offer a similar product in a more tech-friendly package.

Hardy reviews the policies and practices of apps such as Dave, Earnin, and Brigit and finds that:

“. . .consumer experts warn their fees are just as bad as — if not worse than — traditional payday loan APRs, with rates that can easily top 300%. And, they say, the apps can actually trigger overdraft fees.”

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Congress May Cap Payday Loans at 36% Interest

 6th District Congressman John Rose, who represents Sumner County in the U.S. House of Representatives may soon have the opportunity to vote in favor of a bill that would cap the interest rate on payday and car title loans at 36%. 

Current law in Tennessee allows payday loan rates to be as high as 460%. 

Consumer protection legislation that would cap rates on payday and car title loans at 36% has been introduced in the House of Representatives. The bipartisan bill is a companion to similar legislation filed in the Senate in August. Current rates on payday loans can be in excess of 400% in some states.

The bipartisan House bill was introduced by Rep. Jesús “Chuy” Garcia (D-IL) and Rep. Glenn Grothman (R-WI) and is a companion to the Senate bill (S. 2508) that was introduced in August by Sens. Jack Reed (D-RI), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Banking Committee Chairman Sherrod Brown (D-OH) and Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-MD).

“For too long, payday and car-title lenders have been allowed to exploit the most economically vulnerable members of our communities,” said Candace Archer, payday and consumer campaigns manager for Americans for Financial Reform. “Congress is right to take the initiative to address this problem, especially as many families are struggling to recover from the economic devastation caused by the pandemic. This bill will establish nationwide safeguards to protect consumers from dangerous debt traps.”

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