Student Loan Reports From the United States Senate
Report to the Senate from August, 2012, here.
Blog
True Confessions of a Former Debt Collector
Grayson Bell has written “True Confessions of a Former Debt Collector,” in which he confirms many facts which consumers complain about, but which industries deny, including the following:Read More »True Confessions of a Former Debt Collector
United Nations Consumer Protection Guidelines
Many people do not even know that there are guidelines on consumer protection from the United Nations, here.
John Oliver on Payday Lending
This entire 16-minute segment is definitely worth watching, here. With 1.8 million views on YouTube already, this insightful and often serious clip has the potential to impact policy and regulation. Pass it on.
“Bad Paper” by Jake Halpern featured in New York Times Magazine Cover Story
Bad Paper: Chasing Debt From Wall Street to the Underworld by Jake Halpern
The New York Times Magazine has just published a cover story adapted from Jake Halpern’s phenomenal upcoming book, Bad Paper. You can read the entire article here. Because I can’t possibly capture Halpern’s outstanding writing style or story telling abilities, I offer the following excerpts article. In my opinion, Halpern’s book demonstrates that, despite what the industry contends, there is still plenty of actual ongoing systemic fraud and abuse.Read More »“Bad Paper” by Jake Halpern featured in New York Times Magazine Cover Story
Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Sues Large Debt Collection Law Firm, Calling it a “Mill” and a “Factory.”
In what is probably an unprecedented move, a federal regulator has filed a lawsuit accusing a debt collection law firm of violating the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act because the law firm is a mill, and taking a factory approach to litigation. Specifically, the lawsuit alleges that in filing over 300,000 lawsuits, there was a… Read More »Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Sues Large Debt Collection Law Firm, Calling it a “Mill” and a “Factory.”
Inside a Car Dealership: “A Day in the Life of Killer Monsoon”
For an eye-opening experience, read this description of a sales meeting from a fictional dealership, written by Remar Sutton, who used to be in the business.
The Consumerist 101 Guide To Understanding Your Financial Regulators
Ever wonder who regulates what in terms of consumer finance? Here is a simple explanation of the federal regulators, all in one place, courtesy of The Consumerist.
Tax Justice Network USA
This is a group definitely of interest to anyone who cares about tax fairness and the fact that many of our largest corporations pay $0.00 taxes in the U.S. From the Tax Justice Network USA mission statement, here: “Tax Justice Network USA promotes tax justice and tax cooperation, including policies to address tax avoidance, tax… Read More »Tax Justice Network USA
Treasure Islands: the argument against offshore tax havens
Someone recently gave me a groundbreaking book called “Treasure Islands,” by journalist and author Nicholas Shaxson. I highly recommend this book, and it comes with a great blog which refutes the common defenses to offshore tax havens, here.