National Consumer Law Center

06/03/2026

"While HEI loans can provide access to cash based on accrued home equity, they present significant risks to homeowners, including large balloon payments and other costs, home loss, limits on future housing options, and interference with many of the rights of homeownership," writes Alys Cohen, Director of Federal Housing Advocacy and Acting Co-Director of Federal Advocacy at NCLC in New America's The Rooftop blog.

Without protections, these Home Equity Investment loans will cause housing instability and financial loss for families across the nation.

Subscribe to The Rooftop to receive new posts as they’re published: https://www.newamerica.org/collections/the-rooftop/

Alys Cohen writes about Home Equity Investment Loans, a predatory mortgage loan product that is quickly scaling across the nation.

06/03/2026

Since the Trump Administration and Congress’s decision to roll back limits on overdraft and nonsufficient funds (NSF) fees, many of the country’s largest banks have begun to ratchet up their overdraft fee take. Overall, struggling families paid over $12 billion in overdraft and NSF fees in 2025.

A new report from the National Consumer Law Center (NCLC) outlines steps states can take to limit fees and abusive practices imposed on the people who can least afford them. A new issue brief analyzes the 2025 overdraft fee revenue of the 20 largest consumer banks and spotlights several in the “Overdraft Hall of Shame.”

With Federal Protections Rolled Back, States Can Take Action as Banks Increasingly Charge Struggling Families Overdraft Fees

06/02/2026

A 2023 study found workplace payday loan borrowers took out an average of 27 loans per year, and some take over 100 loans a year! Workers shouldn't have to pay to be paid.

Paying to get paid leads to more overdrafts while loan stacking from multiple apps is common.

We're in DC to tell Congress to reject plans to spread these loans far and wide.

06/02/2026

The Earned Wage Access Consumer Protection Act harms servicemembers by exempting payday loan apps from the Military Lending Act’s 36% rate cap. And it worsens the affordability crisis for everyone. We're on Capitol Hill urging Congress to reject it.

The core purpose of the Earned Wage Access Consumer Protection Act bill is to greenlight payday loan apps' business model -- to exploit & extract hundreds of dollars from low-wage workers. Congress should say "no way."

06/01/2026

Advocates from across the nation are in DC tomorrow for Consumer Advocacy Day to stop 100% APR national banks.

Enova & OppFi want to become the first nationally chartered banks 𝐝𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐦𝐚𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐝𝐚𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲 𝐥𝐨𝐚𝐧𝐬. Congress should say, "no way!"

06/01/2026

The National Consumer Law Center submitted a comment on behalf of its low-income clients, applauding the FCC’s efforts to protect consumers from robocalls.

“We strongly support the Commission’s proposal to require a telemarketing provider to post a substantial bond or equivalent security as a condition of registering in the Robocall Mitigation Database,” it said. “This will help to ensure that scammers do not gain access to the U.S. telephone network.”

Low-income consumers, especially older Americans on fixed incomes, cannot afford to lose their savings to scammers, they write. “The Commission’s leadership in addressing illegal calls is laudable and much needed.”

While many businesses support the Federal Communication Commission's goal of protecting consumers, some are pushing back on the agency's proposed measures.

05/29/2026

"Approving these applications for national bank charters would greenlight these loans nationwide and expose borrowers in every state to online loan sharks, leaving consumers in despair," warned Lauren Saunders, senior attorney at NCLC, in an op-ed for Payments Dive. "President Trump should direct his financial regulators to reject the bank applications from Enova and OppFi to avoid rewarding companies with records of dragging borrowers into financial ruin."

“If the president wants to provide people relief from high-interest debt ... he should lead a crackdown against high-cost credit schemes,” writes a consumer advocate lawyer.

05/29/2026

Advocates from across the nation will meet in DC next week for Consumer Advocacy Day to stop 100% APR national banks and push back on attacks on the CFPB that are 𝐡𝐮𝐫𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐠𝐠𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐟𝐚𝐦𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐬. Enova & OppFi want to become the first nationally chartered banks 𝐝𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐦𝐚𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐝𝐚𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲 𝐥𝐨𝐚𝐧𝐬, and consumers need their members of Congress to say "No" to debt-trap lending.

05/29/2026

Last week, Vermont Governor Phil Scott signed legislation to stop creditors from collecting on coerced debts. Coerced debt is a form of economic abuse experienced by survivors of domestic violence, human trafficking, older adults, foster children, and people with disabilities. It occurs when an abuser uses fraud, duress, intimidation, force, coercion, or identity theft to accumulate debt in the name of another person.

“We are pleased to see Governor Scott and the Vermont Legislature take action to help people who have been forced to take on debt because of abuse,” said Carla Sanchez-Adams, senior attorney at the National Consumer Law Center (NCLC). “This law provides relief for people with wrongfully damaged credit histories and ends the aggressive debt collection tactics that add to the suffering caused by coerced debt.”

New Law Will Protect Survivors of Domestic Violence, Older Adults from Impacts of Economic Abuse

05/27/2026

A new report from the National Consumer Law Center warns that a growing number of renters across the country, including in the District, are being pulled into costly “security deposit alternative” programs that consumer advocates say strip tenants of legal protections while generating profits for property technology companies.

The report warns that households of color are more likely to suffer the consequences of these products because Black and Latino renters are already disproportionately burdened by housing costs and discriminatory tenant screening systems.

“State and local governments should take steps now to address unaffordable upfront rental housing costs, including junk fees, and to rein in these harmful products,” reported Ariel Nelson, senior attorney at NCLC. “Local governments can increase access to traditional security deposits, increase enforcement of existing laws, and prohibit abusive practices by landlords and security deposit alternative companies.” The Washington Informer

Security deposit alternatives strip tenants of legal protections and generate profits for property tech companies, warns National Consumer Law Center.