Usury

Subscribe to Usury via RSS

In January 2023, a federal district court in Texas dismissed Michael v. Opportunity Financial, LLC, a putative class action filed in June 2022 claiming that fintech Opportunity Financial, LLC (OppFi), not its out-of-state, state-chartered bank partners, is the “true lender” on loans with interest rates permitted under the laws of the banks’ home states, but higher than allowed in the plaintiffs’ states. … Continue Reading

Minnesota recently enacted the Commerce Omnibus Finance Bill, which includes amendments to several provisions of Minnesota law related to consumer loans and financial institutions. 

Interest Rate Caps on Consumer Small Loans and Short-Term Loans

Minnesota laws related to consumer small loans and consumer short-term loans (as those terms are defined under Minnesota law) are amended to define the annual percentage rate (APR) for the covered loans to be an all-in rate including all fees and charges, as follows:

“Annual percentage rate” means a measure of the cost of credit, expressed as a yearly rate, that relates the amount and timing of value received by the consumer to the amount and timing of payments made. … Continue Reading

In its April 2023 Opposition to the California Department of Financial Protection and Innovation (DFPI) motion for preliminary injunction, Opportunity Financial, LLC (OppFi) presents a spirited riposte, drilling down into the DFPI’s fact allegations and legal arguments and asserting “The DFPI is wrong on the law and wrong on the facts.”… Continue Reading

As anticipated, on June 5, 2023, Colorado Governor Jared Polis signed into law Colorado HB23-1229, which will exclude consumer loans made in Colorado from the provisions of Section 521 of the Depository Institutions Deregulation and Monetary Control Act of 1980 (DIDMCA) (codified at 12 U.S.C. 1813d), a federal law enacted to create competitive equality with respect to usury laws between state-chartered banks and national banks.… Continue Reading

A fintech peer-to-peer lender has entered into separate consent orders with California, Washington D.C., and Connecticut relating to its practice of requesting tips and donations in connection with the loans offered through its platform. The fintech’s platform offers opportunities for members to act as borrowers or lenders and facilitates loans between its members.… Continue Reading

A Colorado bill (HB23-1229) that would opt out of Section 521 of the Depository Institutions Deregulation and Monetary Control Act of 1980 (DIDMCA) (codified at 12 U.S.C. 1813d), a federal law enacted to create competitive equality between state-chartered banks and national banks, was approved by both the Colorado Senate and House of Representatives, and will be sent to the Governor shortly.… Continue Reading

Legislation to opt out of a 43-year-old federal law allowing FDIC-insured state banks to “export” interest on interstate loans to the same extent as their national bank counterparts is quietly, but swiftly, working its way through the Colorado legislature.  The bill has passed the House and is expected to be the subject of a hearing next week before a Senate Committee.… Continue Reading

Using data for the last quarter of 2020 and first three quarters of 2021, the study examined the effects of the 36% rate cap imposed by the Illinois Predatory Loan Prevention Act which became effective in March 2021.  The study found that the cap significantly decreased the availability of small-dollar credit in Illinois. … Continue Reading

In a motion for a preliminary injunction and accompanying memorandum of points and authorities, the California Department of Financial Protection and Innovation (DFPI) is asking a California state court to order fintech Opportunity Financial LLC (OppFi) to stop facilitating loans to California borrowers from its partner FinWise Bank at interest rates above the interest rate cap (generally 36% plus the Federal Funds Rate) imposed by the California Financing Law (CFL).… Continue Reading