The National Credit Union Administration has published a notice in the Federal Register proposing to amend the NCUA’s general lending rule to provide federal credit unions (FCU) with a second option for offering “payday alternative loans” (PALs).  Comments on the proposal are due by August 3, 2018.

In 2010, the NCUA amended its general lending rule to allow FCUs to offer PALs as an alternative to other payday loans. … Continue Reading

The CFPB and the two trade groups that filed a lawsuit in April 2018 in a Texas federal district court challenging the CFPB’s final payday/auto title/high-rate installment loan rule (Payday Rule) have filed a joint motion seeking a stay of the litigation for the duration of the CFPB’s rulemaking to reconsider the Payday Rule.… Continue Reading

On December 1, 2017, three Democrat and three Republican members of the House of Representatives introduced a joint resolution under the Congressional Review Act (H.J. Res. 122) to override the CFPB’s final payday/auto title/high-rate installment loan rule.  The CRA is the vehicle used by Congress to overturn the CFPB’s arbitration rule in a party-line vote.… Continue Reading

Richard Moseley Sr., the operator of a group of interrelated payday lenders, was convicted by a federal jury on all criminal counts in an indictment filed by the Department of Justice, including violating the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO) and the Truth in Lending Act (TILA).  The criminal case is reported to have resulted from a referral to the DOJ by the CFPB.… Continue Reading

On September 5, 2017, the CFPB entered into a consent order with Zero Parallel, LLC (“Zero Parallel”), an online lead aggregator based in Glendale, California. At the same time, it submitted a proposed order in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California, where it is litigating with Zero Parallel’s CEO, Davit Gasparyan.… Continue Reading

According to a Wall Street Journal article published this past weekend, “people familiar with the matter” are reporting that the CFPB’s final payday loan rule will be narrower in its coverage than the CFPB’s proposed rule.

The CFPB’s proposal established limitations for a “covered loan” which could be either (1) any short-term consumer loan with a term of 45 days or less; or (2) a longer-term loan with a term of more than 45 days where (i) the total cost of credit exceeds an annual rate of 36%, and (ii) the lender obtains either a lien or other security interest in the consumer’s vehicle or a form of “leveraged payment mechanism” giving the lender a right to initiate transfers from the consumer’s account or obtain payment through a payroll deduction or other direct access to the consumer’s paycheck. … Continue Reading

At the meeting earlier this month of the American Bar Association’s Consumer Financial Services Committee in Carlsbad, CA, attention was given to an issue highlighted by the American Bankers Association in the comment letter it submitted on the CFPB’s proposed payday/auto title/high-rate installment loan rule.

The CFPB’s proposal provides a method to calculate the total cost of credit used to determine whether a loan would be a “covered loan.” … Continue Reading

The court-appointed receiver for a group of interrelated companies sued by the CFPB in September 2014 for engaging in allegedly unlawful online payday lending activities has filed a malpractice lawsuit against the law firm that assisted in drafting the loan documents used by the companies.

The companies sued by the CFPB included entities that were directly involved in either making payday loans to consumers or providing loan servicing and processing for those loans. … Continue Reading

The Small Business Administration’s Office of Advocacy has submitted a comment letter on the CFPB’s proposed payday loan rule that raises concerns about the proposal’s economic impact on small businesses and encourages the CFPB to make various changes to reduce the burden on small businesses.  The letter notes that because Advocacy is an independent office within the U.S.… Continue Reading

The comment period for the CFPB’s proposed rule on Payday, Title and High-Cost Installment Loans ended Friday, October 7, 2016.  The CFPB has its work cut out for it in analyzing and responding to the comments it has received.

We have submitted comments on behalf of several clients, including comments arguing that: (1) the 36% all-in APR “rate trigger” for defining covered longer-term loans functions as an unlawful usury limit; (2) multiple provisions of the proposed rule are unduly restrictive; and (3) the coverage exemption for certain purchase-money loans should be expanded to cover unsecured loans and loans financing sales of services. … Continue Reading