FTC and CFPB Announce Speakers for “Debt Collection & the Latino Community” Roundtable

October 11, 2014 By Leave a Comment

The Federal Trade Commission and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau have announced the list of speakers, panelists, and moderators for the roundtable the agencies will co-host in Long Beach, California, on October 23, 2014.

The event, which also will be webcast, is titled “Debt Collection & the Latino Community.” Participants will examine how debt collection and credit reporting issues affect Latino consumers, especially those who have limited English proficiency (LEP). The roundtable will bring together consumer advocates, industry representatives, state and federal regulators, and academics to exchange information on a range of issues.

The following is a list of the day’s events and speakers. Note that all times are Pacific Standard Time.

8:00-9:00 a.m. Registration
9:00-9:30 a.m. Welcome and Opening Remarks

  • Ricardo Lara, California State Senator
  • Edith Ramirez, Chairwoman, FTC
  • Zixta Martinez, Associate Director for External Affairs, CFPB
9:30-10:25 a.m. Presentation: Debt Collection & the Latino Community

  • Marisabel Torres, Policy Analyst, National Council of La Raza
10:25-10:35 a.m. Break
10:35 a.m.-12:05 p.m. Panel 1: Pre-Litigation Debt Collection from Latino ConsumersThis session will address topics including how some Latinos experience the debt collection process and industry practices for collecting debts from LEP Latinos.

  • Moderator:  Maricela Segura, Western Region, FTC

Panelists:

  • Albert Cadena, President & CEO, USCB America, Inc.
  • Mark Naiman, Chief Operating Officer, Absolute Resolutions Corp.
  • Karla Priego, Area Manager, Budget and Credit Department, ClearPoint Credit Counseling Solutions
  • Rigoberto Reyes, Chief, Investigations, County of Los Angeles Department of Consumer Affairs
  • Alysson Snow, Supervising Attorney, Legal Aid Society of San Diego, Inc.
12:05-1:05 p.m. Lunch
1:05-2:30 p.m. Panel 2: The Experience of LEP Latinos in Debt Collection Litigation This session will consider topics such as access to justice in court for LEP Latinos sued by debt collectors, the incidence of debt collection litigation involving Latino consumers, and debt collection litigation methods involving LEP Latino consumers.

  • Moderator:  Thomas Pahl, Managing Counsel, Office of Regulations, CFPB

Panelists:

  • Jose Alarcon, Staff Attorney, Bet Tzedek
  • Joseph Jaramillo, Senior Attorney, Housing and Economic Rights Advocates
  • Ted Mermin, Executive Director, Public Good Law Center
  • Makyla Moody, Attorney, Wakefield & Associates
  • Harvey Moore, President, The Moore Law Group
2:30-3:30 p.m. Panel 3: Credit Reporting Issues Among LEP LatinosThis session will address topics such as LEP Latino consumers’ access to credit reports, their options for disputing inaccurate information, and some of the potential barriers in the credit reporting marketplace for these consumers.

  • Moderator:  Brenda Muñiz, Senior Advisor, CFPB

Panelists:

  • Eric Ellman, Senior Vice President of Public Policy and Legal Affairs, Consumer Data Industry Association
  • Sahara Garcia, HomeOwnership Counselor/Education Advisor, NeighborWorks Orange County
  • Aracely Panameño, Director, Latino Affairs, Center for Responsible Lending
  • Mary Spector, Associate Professor of Law and Co-Director of the SMU Dedman School of Law Civil Clinic
3:30-3:45 p.m. Break
3:45-4:45 p.m. Panel 4: Developing Improved Strategies for Educating and Engaging LEP Latinos About Their Debt Collection RightsThis session will address topics including what education materials on debt collection exist for Latinos, and how the FTC, CFPB, consumer advocates, and debt collectors can help ensure LEP Latinos have access to the information they need about their debt collection and credit reporting rights.

  • Moderator:  Cristina Miranda, Consumer Education Specialist, Division of Consumer and Business Education, FTC

Panelists:

  • Robert Foehl, Vice President and General Counsel, ACA International
  • Andrea Luquetta, Policy Advocate, California Reinvestment Coalition
  • Suzanne Martindale, Staff Attorney, Consumers Union
  • Maritza Reyna, Manager of Education, Consumer Credit Counseling Service of Orange County
4:45-5:00 p.m. Lessons Learned and Next Steps

  • Gail Hillebrand, Associate Director of Consumer Education and Engagement, CFPB
  • Christopher Koegel, Assistant Director, Division of Financial Practices, FTC

The roundtable is free and open to the public. It will be held at California State University, Long Beach, in the Grand Ballroom at the University Student Union. It will not be held at The Pointe, as originally planned. The address for the University is 1250 Bellflower Boulevard, Long Beach, California, 90840. Directions to the Grand Ballroom are available on the roundtable event page.

Additional information, including pre-registration and the agenda, is posted on the event page, www.ftc.gov/LatinoDebtCollection. To register for the event, please send your name, affiliation, and email address to Pre-registerRT@ftc.gov.

To view the webcast of the roundtable, go to www.ftc.gov on the day of the event, October 23, and you will see a link to the webcast.  There is no need to register to watch the webcast.

Send your ideas and comments regarding the roundtable event to the following email address: DebtCollectionRT@ftc.gov or info@consumerfinance.gov.

FTC and CFPB Announce Speakers for “Debt Collection & the Latino Community” Roundtable

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Accounts Receivable Management

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ACA Submits Comments Opposing CFPB’s Request to Collect Data Under Streamlined Process

October 11, 2014 By Leave a Comment

In an effort to ensure the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau does not skirt its important obligations under the Paperwork Reduction Act, ACA International filed comments objecting to the bureau’s request to obtain special approval, called generic clearance, to use a streamlined procedure that would allow it to gather certain data for up to three years without having to go through the normal notice and comment process.

According to the bureau’s request to the Office of Management and Budget, the underlying purpose is to collect certain data “to allow the bureau to better inform and advance scientific understanding of consumer credit markets and household finance.”

In its comments, ACA argues that the core of the PRA—agency responsibility and accountability—cannot  be circumvented by the bureau simply for the sake of efficiency. In addition, guidance from the Office of Budget and Management makes clear that streamlined approval is warranted only for low-burden collections that do not raise substantive or policy issues.

Given the broadly worded request, ACA asserts that it is clear that the bureau intends to collect data that will in fact raise substantive or policy issues, regardless of how the it claims the data will ultimately be used. As a result, the bureau’s request simply does not merit the streamlined process which will improperly deprive stakeholders of important opportunities to meaningfully weigh in on the burdens that the proposed collections will pose.

Although the bureau’s data collection request is not specific to debt collection, ACA’s comments in this proceeding are part of its ongoing efforts to ensure that the bureau operates transparently, remains accountable and fosters collaboration with stakeholders.

ACA Submits Comments Opposing CFPB’s Request to Collect Data Under Streamlined Process
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Circuit Court Says Autodialed Collection Calls to VoIP Line Carrying Charges Violated TCPA

October 11, 2014 By Leave a Comment

In an unpublished opinion handed down last week, the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that calls made to a residential line using an autodialer can violate the TCPA if the residential line service charges for incoming calls. In this particular case, the line was using a VoIP subscription that carried per-call charges.

The case, Lynn v. Monarch Recovery Management, involved numerous debt collection calls to the plaintiff that were, in final analysis, not intended for him.

Lynn has lived at the same Maryland address since 2006. When he moved in, he got a residential landline from Verizon. But in 2009, Lynn subscribed to a Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) service and had his residential landline number ported to the VoIP service. His new service charged $0.0149 per minute for incoming calls and a separate $0.0149 flat rate for each transmission of Caller ID data.

Monarch was contracted to collect on three separate accounts. Through skip-tracing efforts, the collection agency determined that Lynn’s phone number was the correct point of contact for each. Monarch called the number 37 times over a 10-month period.

But the accounts turned out to not be Lynn’s. Two were for the previous resident of his home and one was for his brother. Lynn advised Monarch of this and also noted that he was being charged for each incoming call. The company subsequently placed three final calls to the number.

Lynn sued Monarch alleging violations of the TCPA, the Maryland Telephone Consumer Protection Act (MDTCPA), and the FDCPA.

The FDCPA claims were settled. But Monarch argued that it did not violate the TCPA because the calls were not made to a mobile line. A lower court judge disagreed with this reasoning, noting that the language of the TCPA goes beyond cell numbers, stating, “making any call…using any [ATDS] or an artificial or prerecorded voice…to any telephone number assigned to a paging service, cellular telephone service, specialized mobile radio service, or other radio common carrier service, or any service for which the called party is charged for the call.”

Because the VoIP service charged for incoming calls, it met the definition under the TCPA.

The three-judge appellate panel last week agreed with this reasoning, affirming the decision. The judges decided the case on filings only, opting to dispense with oral arguments.

The opinion is unpublished, so not binding for precedent in the 4th Circuit. But it remains to be seen if other judges will use similar reasoning in cases involving VoIP going forward.

Circuit Court Says Autodialed Collection Calls to VoIP Line Carrying Charges Violated TCPA
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Collection Law Firms and Third Party Agencies Now Eligible for DBA International Certification Program

October 11, 2014 By Leave a Comment

DBA International (DBA) announced today it will now be accepting applications from collection law firms and third party collection agencies who wish to earn DBA’s Certified Professional Receivables Company (CPRC) designation. Version 2.1 of DBA International’s Certification Program was developed after an extensive six month program review that studied whether program expansion would provide enhanced benefits to certified debt buying companies as well as address a need within the broader collection industry.

DBA developed and manages a Debt Buyer Certification Program for its member companies. This certification program represents a comprehensive national standard of industry best practices. It stresses responsible consumer protection, increased transparency and improved educational and operational standards within the industry.

“Soon after the March 2013 launch of the Debt Buyer Certification Program, DBA began to receive calls from collection law firms and third party collection agencies inquiring whether they could become certified” said Bryan Faliero, President of the DBA Board of Directors. “While the certification program was originally designed for debt buying companies, the increasing number of inquiries prompted DBA to examine the feasibility of program expansion.”

After careful review and analysis, the DBA Certification Council determined that with a few adjustments, the certification program could accommodate collection firms and agencies due to the number of program standards that overlapped with other segments of the industry.

“Expanding the certification program is a critical step in strengthening compliance integration between debt buying companies and their vendors, assuring the consumer that the same rigorous standards are being upheld,” said Amy Anuk, Chair of the Certification Council.

Highlighted changes contained in version 2.1 of the DBA Certification Program:

  • DBA adopted nine new standards of best practices focused on activities performed by collection law firms and third party collection agencies for a total of 29 program standards – new standards include subject matter associated with consumer complaints, trust accounts, bonding/malpractice insurance, professional conduct, and the client-vendor relationship
  • The 20 existing standards for debt buying companies contained in version 2.0 of the Certification Program remained unchanged in version 2.1
  • Grouped the 29 program standards into four “series”:
    • Series A – Standards that apply to all CPRC designated companies (i.e. debt buying companies, collection law firms, and third party collection agencies)
    • Series B – Standards that apply exclusively to debt buying companies
    • Series C – Standards that apply exclusively to collection law firms
    • Series D – Standards that apply exclusively to third party collection agencies
  • No changes were made to the requirements individuals must attain to earn the Certified Receivable Compliance Professional (CRCP) designation

Jan Stieger, DBA’s Executive Director said, “While the expansion of the certification program is good from a compliance management standpoint for certified debt buying companies, perhaps more important are the benefits it provides to consumers through the adoption of rigorous and auditable standards that go above and beyond that required in state and federal laws.”

DBA International estimates that since its 2013 adoption of the certification program, more than 50 percent of receivables purchased on the secondary market are now held by certified debt buying companies.
More information on the DBA Certification Program, including full program requirements and CPRC and CRCP applications are available on the DBA website.

DBA International (DBA) is the nonprofit trade association that represents the interests of companies that purchase performing and nonperforming receivables on the secondary market. Founded in 1997 by a small group of companies to provide a forum to advance best practices within the industry, today DBA has grown to represent over 550 companies. DBA provides its members with networking, educational, and legislative advocacy opportunities through an annual conference, an executive summit, regional seminars, state and regional committees, newsletters, webinars, teleconferences, and other media. DBA maintains a code of ethics and a national certification program which debt buying member companies must comply with in order to maintain membership that promotes uniform industry standards based on best practices. DBA is headquartered in Sacramento, California.

Collection Law Firms and Third Party Agencies Now Eligible for DBA International Certification Program
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Accounts Receivable Management

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CBE Employees Choose by “Overwhelming Response” to Donate $6000 to ARM Vets Charity

October 11, 2014 By Leave a Comment

ARMing Heroes, the collection industry’s charity for military veterans, today announced that the employees of CBE Companies raised and generously donated more than $6,000 to the fifth annual No Debts for Vets Charity Fundraising Drive, which runs from September 11th through Veterans Day, November 11th, every year.

CBE’s Jeans for Charity campaign is a voluntary program that runs year-round, allowing employees to wear jeans on Wednesdays in exchange for making weekly charitable contributions through a payroll deduction. Each month, the fundraising committee in each CBE location chooses which charity the funds raised will support. This year the Waterloo and Cedar Falls, Iowa employees chose the No Debts for Vets Charity Fundraising Drive. The three Iowa locations include participation from 775 employees, accounting for more than 90% of its staff in this community.

“Each year a committee is formed to research and narrow down a list of organizations to donate our Jeans for Charity funds,” said Mary Phillips, Chief Human Resources Officer. “Helping veterans had an overwhelming response from employees, as it hits almost everyone personally in one way, shape, or form. The employees’ high level of commitment, graciousness, and interest is simply a sign of doing the right thing and giving back. Their involvement isn’t mandatory, it’s genuine.”

Incentivizing employees to give to this worthy cause in exchange for dress down days or for other benefits management might think of is one of the easiest ways those in the collection industry can support ARMing Heroes. This year, the charity has made it even easier to get started by offering an Employee Fund Drive Starter Kit, as well as implementing a Donor Dog Tag promotion to encourage and commemorate employees’ support of military vets. Interested companies can learn more here.

Since its inception in 2009, ARMing Heroes has provided grants to nearly 100 military veterans and their families. Most grant recipients struggle with service-connected disabilities, unemployment, and delinquent debt, and have turned to ARMing Heroes for much-needed help to ease their financial burdens and get their lives back on track. Stories of past grant recipients remind us all how rewarding and important this program has become.

The charity’s flagship No Debts for Vets Charity Fundraising Drive runs from September 11th through Veterans Day, November 11th every year. Tax-deductible donations are now being accepted online at www.armingheroes.org and via mail to PO Box 353, Collingswood, NJ 08108, payable to ARMing Heroes. Pledges may be made to info@armingheroes.org.

About CBE Companies

CBE Companies is a global business process outsourcing (BPO) organization offering third-party debt collections, first party collections, customer care, professional services and software-as-a-service products.  CBE Companies is supported by a leadership team of tenured industry experts. The mission of CBE Companies is to make its customers better through:

  • Focus on the deepest understanding of its customers’ business
  • Innovative solutions that provide clear value in solving specific business challenges
  • A unique culture and investment in employee engagement

CBE Companies currently employs over 1,200 people in seven locations globally. Its corporate headquarters is located in Cedar Falls, Iowa, with two additional facilities in Waterloo, Iowa, and additional facilities in Overland Park, Kansas; Haverhill, Massachusetts, New Braunfels, Texas and Manila, Philippines. The organization is consistently recognized as a top five Employer of Choice in the Cedar Valley.  It has also been recognized by Workplace Dynamics as one of Iowa’s Top Workplaces.

About ARMing Heroes

ARMing Heroes was founded and began operating in March, 2009.  The organization’s mission is to serve the needs of U.S. military veterans, including their spouse and children. ARMing Heroes fills a charitable niche by linking people identified with employment, credit, and financial counseling needs with the accounts receivable management industry, an industry uniquely poised to help in these areas.  Persons interested in volunteering their time and others interested in applying for benefits or pledging other forms of support are encouraged to contact the organization at www.armingheroes.org.

What Can I Do Right Now to Help?

  • Visit www.armingheroes.org and donate now.
  • Friend us and post this article to your page on Facebook.
  • Tweet about this article on Twitter.
  • Join our group on LinkedIn, the ARMing Heroes Veterans Charity Supporter / Assistance Center.
  • Comment on this article online and ask us to contact you.
  • Forward this article via email to your key contacts.
  • Print this article and fax it to your local congressional office and ask them to post our website on theirs as a resource for vets.

 

CBE Employees Choose by “Overwhelming Response” to Donate $6000 to ARM Vets Charity
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Accounts Receivable Management

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Executive Changes: Account Control Technology Appoints CFO and CIO

October 11, 2014 By Leave a Comment

Account Control Technology Holdings, Inc. (ACT Holdings) is pleased to announce the build-out of its executive team with the appointments of Ryan Stearns as Chief Financial Officer and Sameer Maini as Chief Information Officer.

ACT Holdings is the parent company of debt recovery and business process outsourcing (BPO) leader Account Control Technology, Inc. (ACT), as well as Convergent, one of the nation’s five largest BPO companies, which was acquired in May of 2014. With the Convergent acquisition, ACT Holdings expanded to 21 offices and gained access to extensive technological and human resources. In order to ensure that clients, employees and consumers gain maximum benefit from the greater organization, ACT Holdings is structuring its executive team to optimize resources, processes and best practices.

Ryan Stearns moved to the ACT Holdings organization from his prior role as Chief Financial Officer for Convergent Outsourcing, Inc. Leveraging his more than 22 years of experience in a broad range of complex financial planning and management practices, Stearns will prepare the ACT Holdings organization for continued growth. Prior to his work with Convergent, Stearns served as CFO for one of the nation’s largest healthcare services organizations and as COO for a notable professional services firm.

Sameer Maini was promoted to CIO of ACT Holdings after serving in a similar role with ACT. He has more than 15 years of senior-level engineering, application development and technology leadership experience, particularly in contact call center environments. In his new role, Maini is charged with leveraging the best technological resources from ACT and Convergent to enhance ACT Holdings’ leadership in the BPO space.

About Account Control Technology, Inc. (ACT)
Account Control Technology, Inc. is a leader in providing consultative debt management, collection, call center and business office solutions for education, government, commercial and consumer entities. Established in 1990, ACT has been recognized as an Inc. 5000 fastest-growing private company for the past eight years running. The company serves clients nationwide from five office locations: Bakersfield, California; Woodland Hills, California; Mason, Ohio; Dallas, Texas; and San Angelo, Texas. For more information, call 800-394-4228, email info@accountcontrol.com or visit www.accountcontrol.com.

About Convergent
Headquartered in Atlanta, Convergent is one of America’s largest business process outsourcing firms. The company has more than sixty years of history serving a diverse customer base with consumer contact outsourcing services, commercial receivables management and healthcare revenue cycle management. Convergent empowers its clients with an innovative combination of an adaptable workflow engine, technology-enabled operations, next-generation analytics and professional services to deliver superior financial performance and high levels of client and consumer satisfaction. For more information, visit www.convergentusa.com.

About Account Control Technology Holdings, Inc. (ACT Holdings)
Account Control Technology Holdings, Inc. represents a diverse family of companies offering comprehensive business process outsourcing and financial services. Our companies partner with clients to help them run the “business” behind their operations so they can focus on what they do best – whether it’s serving customers, educating students, caring for patients, or keeping communities moving forward. Current ACT Holdings companies include Account Control Technology, Inc., Convergent, and Diamond Student Information System. For more information, visit http://accountcontrolholdings.com.

 

Executive Changes: Account Control Technology Appoints CFO and CIO
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Ontario Systems Names Hall Of Fame Award Recipients at PowerUp 2014 Conference

October 11, 2014 By Leave a Comment

Ontario Systems, a leading receivables management technology and services provider, has announced the recipients of its annual Hall Of Fame Awards at PowerUp 2014, the company’s receivables education and customer conference. Selected from a pool of nominees by the organization’s Executive Leadership Team, winners represent an elite group who made breakthroughs this year in the areas of Innovation, Technology and Leadership.

Recipients in the Innovation category included Eric Currie, President & Partner at MedCycle Management LLC, and Jodi Swenson, Vice President with Northland Group. Rick Lyman, Revenue Cycle Vice President with Advocate Healthcare, and Jason Thompson, Senior Director of Information & Technology at General Service Bureau, were recognized in the Leadership category. Finally, Dave Galloway, Systems Operations Director at CHS, and Jeff Miller, IT Manager with BC Services, were awarded in the Technology category.

The Ontario Systems Hall of Fame Awards distinguish those who develop creative new services and strategies enabled by Ontario Systems products, actively work with Ontario Systems to enhance and develop the company’s products, and/or enhance their own companies’ expertise and talent with the skillful use of cutting-edge IT resources, as recognized by Ontario Systems as a company. Many highly-skilled managers and executives were nominated by Ontario Systems staff, and winners were selected by the company’s CEO, and Vice Presidents of Business Development, Sales, Marketing, Compliance, Services, and Technology.

“This year’s Hall of Fame Award recipients, in many different, but equally impressive ways have demonstrated characteristics that have progressed not only their own organizations and careers, but the ARM and healthcare receivables industries as a whole,” says Ontario Systems CEO, Ron Fauquher. “They represent an elite group of our clients, all of whom continue to drive the ARM and healthcare industries forward into a bright future, and a healthy economy.”

Ontario Systems, LLC is a leading provider of accounts receivable and strategic receivables management solutions for the collections and healthcare industries. Offering a full portfolio of software, services, and business process expertise, Ontario Systems customers include nine of the 10 largest collections agencies, and three of the five biggest health systems in the U.S., with 55,000 representatives in more than 500 locations. To learn more about how Ontario Systems can help power up your receivables, visit OntarioSystems.com.

Ontario Systems Names Hall Of Fame Award Recipients at PowerUp 2014 Conference
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AT&T Enters $45 million TCPA Settlement; External Collection Agencies Also Involved

October 11, 2014 By Leave a Comment

On Sept. 30, AT&T Mobility – the mobile arm of the telecommunications giant – signed off on a proposed agreement to settle a TCPA class action lawsuit in which it and its hired debt collection agencies allegedly called consumers’ cell phones using an autodialer without prior express consent.

The suit, filed in 2013 on behalf of a proposed class of about 16,000 people, alleges that AT&T Mobility and more than 20 named debt collection agencies hired by the company used automated dialing technology to call mobile numbers for the purposes of debt collection on accounts.

AT&T denies any wrongdoing, arguing that they obtained consent when consumers provided the phone numbers – in many cases issued by AT&T in the first place – as a point of contact. Further, AT&T claims, it nor its hired collection agencies used systems that fit the definition of “automatic telephone dialing system” under the TCPA.

After the parties went to mediation, a $45 million settlement agreement was presented to the presiding judge. The settlement is still subject to approval.

Each class member would be entitled to receive a payment for each call from the $45 million settlement fund, up to $500 per call, after attorneys’ fees and costs, an incentive award to the named plaintiff and settlement administration costs are deducted from the fund.

The plaintiffs’ attorneys in the case will be entitled to request up to $15 million for their compensation and the named plaintiff is set to earn $20,000.

In a completely unrelated matter, the FCC, FTC, and all 50 states’ and DC’s attorneys general today announced a $105 million settlement with AT&T Mobility in an enforcement action alleging illegal bill cramming.

AT&T Enters $45 million TCPA Settlement; External Collection Agencies Also Involved

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30% of Online Payday Loan Borrowers Threatened by Lender or Debt Collector

October 4, 2014 By Leave a Comment

The Pew Charitable Trusts Friday released a report detailing fraudulent and abusive practices associated with payday loans offered online. The study found that many online borrowers report being threatened by lenders or debt collectors and that the vast majority of payday borrower complaints are about online loans.

The report calls on federal regulators to address these problems by establishing strong, clear, and consistent consumer protections for the small-dollar lending market as a whole.

The report, Fraud and Abuse Online: Harmful Practices in Internet Payday Lending, is the fourth in the “Payday Lending in America” series produced by Pew’s small-dollar loans project. Problems in the online payday loan market have been chronicled anecdotally, but Pew’s report is the first formal analysis to use surveys and focus groups, consumer complaints, company filings, and lenders’ spending on advertising and prospective-borrower leads.

“Our report makes clear that abusive practices in the online payday loan market not only exist but are widespread,” says Nick Bourke, Pew’s small-dollar loans project director. “State and federal regulators have taken steps to rein in fraud and abuse, but they need to do considerably more to keep borrowers from being harmed or further entrenched in unaffordable debt, especially as these loans become more prevalent.”

The report found that aggressive and illegal actions are concentrated among the approximately 70 percent of lenders that are not licensed in every state where they lend and among fraudulent debt collectors. Such lenders claim to be exempt from the authority of state-level officials, so federal action will be necessary to stop the abuses.

Among the key findings in Pew’s report:

  • Many online loans are designed to promote renewals and long-term indebtedness. One in 3 online borrowers has taken out a loan that was set up to withdraw only the fee on the customer’s next payday, automatically renewing the loan without reducing principal. To pay more, most of these borrowers had to make a request by phone. Other online loans increase borrowers’ costs with unnecessarily long repayment periods, such as eight months to pay off a $300 loan or by including some payments in the installment schedule that do not reduce the balance.
  • 30 percent of online payday loan borrowers report being threatened by a lender or debt collector. Threatened actions include contacting borrowers’ family, friends, or employers, and arrest by the police. Online borrowers report being threatened at far higher rates than do storefront borrowers, and many of the types of threats violate federal debt collection laws.
  • Unauthorized withdrawals, aggressive practices, and disclosure of personal information are widespread in online lending, placing borrowers’ checking accounts at risk.
    • 46 percent of online borrowers report that lenders made withdrawals that overdrew their checking accounts, twice the rate of storefront borrowers.
    • 39 percent report that their personal or financial information was sold to a third party without their knowledge.
    • 32 percent report experiencing an unauthorized withdrawal in connection with an online payday loan.
    • 22 percent report closing a bank account or having one closed by their bank in connection with an online payday loan.

     

 

30% of Online Payday Loan Borrowers Threatened by Lender or Debt Collector
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U.S. Unemployment Rate Crosses the 6% Threshold: 5.9% for September

October 4, 2014 By Leave a Comment

The U.S. Department of Labor said Friday that the official unemployment rate fell to 5.9 percent in September, the lowest reading since the summer of 2008. Employers added 248,000 jobs last month, combined with significant upward revisions in the July and August jobs numbers.

The official headline unemployment rate in September dipped below the 6 percent line for the first time since July 2008. The unemployment rate was 6.1 percent in August.

Not only did the job monthly job gains outpace analysts’ expectations – they were predicting around 225,000 new jobs – the revised jobs numbers from July and August were adjusted upward by a total of 69,000 total jobs over the two months.

For the full third quarter of 2014, monthly job gains averaged 223,667, down from the 266,667 monthly average in the second quarter. Q3’s monthly average was still the second highest since the first quarter of 2012 and the third highest since the beginning of the housing market crisis in the mid-2000s.

unemployment-labor-department-job-gains-sept-2014

Job growth in September was broad, with nearly all sectors reporting some expansion. Professional and business services added 81,000 jobs in September, retail added 35,000 positions, healthcare gained 23,000, and construction jobs rose by 16,000.

Still, it wasn’t job growth alone that led to the drop in the unemployment rate. The labor participation rate fell slightly to 62.7 percent, the lowest reading since 1978. The total number of Americans not in the labor force stood at an all-time high in the month.

Wage growth also continued to be maddeningly slow, with average hourly wages actually contracting by a penny in September. Over the past year, average hourly earnings have risen by just 2.0 percent.

U.S. Unemployment Rate Crosses the 6% Threshold: 5.9% for September
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