National Consumer Law Center

Last year, President Trump announced his intention to kill the Digital Equity Act. And his administration followed through. The Department of Commerce terminated grants under the program, froze the remaining funds out of the $2.75 billion Congress had appropriated, and declared the statute itself unconstitutional -- taking a sledgehammer to worthwhile, bipartisan grant programs that provide essentials like connectivity for the nation’s most vulnerable consumers. Public Knowledge #SaveDigitalEquity #ProtectConsumers https://lnkd.in/ep23cc_t

We are hiring! NCLC is looking for an attorney to join our Energy & Utilities Team. The ideal candidate will have 5 years of experience including expertise in energy and utilities. We have a strong preference for attorneys who are based in and/or have worked in the Southeast. For more information, please view the full posting on our website. https://lnkd.in/egN8k5Bb

"We are hearing reports from around the country of buildings that have transitioned to RUBS and really similar complaints," said April Kuehnhoff, senior attorney at NCLC. Kuehnhoff explained that RUBS can hide overcharges, let landlords pass on costs and make it very hard for tenants to tell if their bills are correct. A growing number of cities and even states have taken action to limit or even ban the use of RUBS. "Frankly, prohibiting RUBS would be our strongest recommendation here, because of all of the consumer protection harms." #FairHousing #FairDebt #EnergyEfficiency #ProtectConsumers CBS News https://lnkd.in/eGUrRnFv

"By seeking federal approval to acquire national bank charters, once again working people would be snared into long-term debt traps and increased financial instability in the throes of a nation already grappling with an affordability crisis," said Charlene Crowell in The Washington Informer. "Federal banking regulators are fast-tracking these lenders’ bank applications, without offering opponents an opportunity to discuss their concerns.| #StopTheDebtTrap #Fintech #ProtectConsumers Center for Responsible Lending https://lnkd.in/eHDKkpwX

How can preventing tax foreclosures protect heirs property owners? A new piece by National Consumer Law Center's Sarah Mancini, published on New America's Rooftop blog series, makes a straightforward but often overlooked point: the most effective thing local governments can do to protect heirs property owners is keep them out of tax foreclosure in the first place. Families who inherit homes are routinely locked out of homestead tax exemptions they qualify for, and without that relief, tax bills spiral fast. The fix already exists. Local governments just need to extend it to the people who need it most. Worth a read for anyone working on homeownership preservation and wealth building: https://lnkd.in/eBEwjPsE

Two notorious high-interest lenders have applied to become national banks so they can sidestep state caps and charge triple-digit interest rates. This comes on the heels of our state passing a law to close loopholes for these exact predatory lending practices. OCJ has joined the National Consumer Law Center, along with nearly 100 nationwide orgs, to urge Congress to stop this ploy, strengthen interest rate limits, and address the deep financial burden of families across the country. Learn more about how this coalition is working to stop predatory lending: https://buff.ly/MKSdYY6

Despite the challenges, National Digital Inclusion Alliance (NDIA) affiliates continue to do the essential work of ensuring their neighbors can get and stay connected. Digital inclusion work has never been fueled by one policy or program, but by every person who works toward digital equity in their communities. #SaveDigitalEquity #SaveBEAD #SaveDEA https://lnkd.in/eVQH45mG

Today, nearly 100 consumer, civil rights, and community organizations sent a letter urging members of Congress to stop predatory bank loans by opposing the unprecedented national bank applications of Enova and OppFi. The letter also urged members to adopt a national interest rate cap and to support the right of states to establish rate limits, including stricter caps. “These would be the first national banks dedicated to directly making predatory loans and could open the national bank charter to a host of other predatory lenders,” the groups warned. “Approval of predatory 100%+ APR banks, advocates warn, would be an assault on people across the country and political spectrum who are worried about the affordability crisis and strongly support interest rate limits.” #ProtectConsumers #StopTheDebtTrap #Fintech #RentaBank cc: Center for Responsible Lending https://lnkd.in/eVBMm_2k

Amid their philanthropic push, ViaPath and Aventiv are urging the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to increase the maximum amount their companies can charge for phone and video calls.    In July 2024, the FCC lowered the caps on prison and jail phone calls and capped video call rates, which weren’t previously capped, at 25 cents per minute. But under the Trump administration, the FCC reversed course, allowing the previous exorbitant rates to stand, citing the “negative, unintended consequences” of the lower rate caps. The Biden-era caps didn’t result in the widespread shutdown of any services, said Caroline Cohn, staff attorney at the National Consumer Law Center. “I don’t think they had the record to back up the claim that this was resulting in serious ‘unintended consequences.’ It seems to be them bowing to the interests of the telecom companies.” via Prism News #CriminalJustice #PrisonPhones #KeepFamiliesConnected #ProtectConsumers https://lnkd.in/egTqS7M9