Consumerist
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oversight
Obama To Call For Financial Watchdog Agency
Tomorrow, President Obama is expected to call for the creation of a new watchdog agency that would help protect consumers from abusive credit card, mortgage, banking practices. The banking industry is not happy about the idea, reports CNN. But hey, they're just looking out for us: "It's bad for consumers," a banking industry lobbyist told the network. Oh, well, never mind then, and pass me some more delicious subprime! More » -
smoking gun
Affidavits On How Wells Fargo Gave "Ghetto Loans" To "Mud People"
Here's the official court filing (PDF) so you can get the full details on how Wells Fargo pushed or even fraudulently placed black borrowers into sub-prime loans, even when those borrowers could afford prime loans, along with an office environment where employees threw around racist slurs, calling black borrowers "mud people" and their mortgages "ghetto loans." The official statements referenced in the NYT article are in this document in full. The affidavits begin on page 48. Two screenshots inside... More » -
debt
Pay Off Debt Like You're Training For A Marathon
How is paying off all your loans and becoming debt-free like training for a marathon? JD, a personal finance blogger who is training for a marathon shares his tips. For instance, running first thing in the morning is a lot like the idea of "paying yourself first." To wit: More » -
interest rates
Interest Rates Will Rise Within The Year, Markets Bet
As growing global economic optimism begins to build, the market is betting that the Fed will raise interest rates by the end of this year. This will mean mortgages will get more costly and credit card APRs will rise, but the interest you make off your savings account will go up. [Bloomberg] (Photo: Ben Popken) -
affidavits
Loan Officers Detail Wells Fargo's Blatantly Racist Subprime Loans
UPDATE: Read the affidavits here.
Meet Beth Jacobsen and Tony Paschal, two of Wells Fargo's top subprime loan officers, who recently gave affidavits detailing the bank efforts to needlessly steer minority Baltimore families into subprime loans. The banks shady dealings include setting up a special unit to target "mud people" with outrageously expensive "ghetto loans;" targeting black churches leaders because they "had a lot of influence and could convince congregants to take out subprime loans;" and offering cash bounties to loan officers who issued subprime loans to minority communities. And it gets so much worse... More »
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repossession
Repo Man: Borked Chrysler Site Can't Take Your Money, But Can Rack Up Late Fees
Late last Thursday night, two guys rang reader Sean's doorbell and asked if he'd like to get anything out of his 2007 Jeep Compass before they repossessed it. Since then, Sean has tried to get current on his payments, but Chrysler's web site snafus have kept him from getting the cash to Chrysler, which won't let him get his car back unless he forks over hundreds of dollars in fees. Oy. Sean's story, inside.. More » -
ameriquest
Judge Slaps Ameriquest Hard For Selling Mortgage, Then Pretending To Still Own It
Ameriquest originated a mortage, securitized it, and sold it. Then pretended it still owned the mortgage to a U.S. Bankruptcy Court judge. Whoops. More » -
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student loans
Costly Private Loans Masquerade As Federal Student Loans
Some students who didn't read the fine print are finding out too late that what they thought were federal student loans were actually private loans. The mistake is the difference between a 6% and 18% interest rate. More » -
freddie mac
Acting CFO Of Freddie Mac Found Dead This Morning
David Kellermann, a former Freddie Mac senior vice president who had been serving as the acting chief financial officer of the mortgage buying company since its takeover by the federal government last September, was found "hanging in the basement of his Reston home, dead from an apparent suicide" early this morning. Police were called to his home by someone inside the house at about 5 am today and found Kellermann's body. More » -
bailouts
Chrysler Financial Accused Of Turning Down Government Loan To Avoid Executive Bonus Restrictions
The Washington Post has just published a story accusing executives at Chrysler Financial of turning down a $750 million government loan because they "didn't want to abide by new federal limits on pay," and instead opted for more expensive private sector financing, "adding to the burdens of the already fragile automaker and its financing company." Chrysler Financial denies the charge. More » -
loans
Tennessee Couple Gets $5,000 Loan, 59% Interest Rate
Kay and Lewis Brown wanted some quick cash so they could make a moderate addition to their home. They turned to CashCall, an online loan service, after seeing the ads on TV. The company lent them $5,000 — at 59% interest. Now the couple is on the hook for $20,830. More » -
wall street bailout
Government To Banks: Why Are You Making Predatory Loans With Taxpayer Money?
The bailed-out banks have found a new way to annoy the government, according to the Congressional Oversight Panel, the body named by Congress to oversee the federal bailout. Chair of the committee and friend of the blog, Elizabeth Warren, is concerned that the same people who are subsidizing the banks are being targeted by abusive lending practices, says the Wall Street Journal More » -
bribes
AmTrust Offers Homeowner $50 To Voluntarily Close HELOC
Here's a new tactic we haven't seen before: mortgage originator AmTrust called blogger BeThisWay and offered her $50 to voluntarily close her home equity line of credit (HELOC), possibly in response to the recent class action lawsuit against them for illegally closing HELOCs. She writes, "Well, I'd like to keep my HELOC. But I have to figure out AmTrust's next move. What will they do if not enough people voluntarily surrender their HELOCs? Are cancellations next? Am I better off taking the $50 now, or waiting, hoping they don't cancel it?"
"AmTrust says, "We love you! Really!"" [JustShootMeNow]
(Photo: Caitlinator) -
payday loans
House Preparing To Legalize Payday Loans With 391% APRs
A House subcommittee wants to legalize payday loans with interest rates of up to 391%. Lobbyists from the payday industry bought Congress' support by showering influential members, including Chairman Luiz Gutierrez, with campaign cash. The Congressman is now playing good cop, bad cop with the payday industry, which is pretending to oppose his generous gift of a bill. More » -
student loans
A Big-Ass List Of Student Loan Resources
It's a tough economic climate to be graduating from school — and maybe an even tougher one for those of you trying to get financial aid. We've put together a list of some financial aid and student lending resources to help make things easier. More »
2:05 PM on Mon Mar 30 2009
By Meg Marco
0 views, 41 commentsMost discussed QuantumRiff: One big tip, I wish someone had told me. If all your student loans are through the same company, more »
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tough times
Is It Ok To Give Cash To Needy Friends?
Yes, it's ok to lend cash to needy friends, but only if you have a clear understanding of your gift and its effects. Money undeniably alters relationships, and giving can greatly complicate, if not entirely undermine, a valued friendship. Yet, money is also one of the most direct ways to provide help. The Times provided several questions to consider before making a gift... More » -
refund anticipation loans
H&R Block's Refund Anticipation Loan Card Eats Your Refund
Poor Sam didn't take our advice. He let H&R Block do his taxes and then took out a refund anticipation loan. The money, which was deposited on an H&R Block Emerald Card, is now tied up by several inexplicable holds for transactions he didn't make. The companies supposedly holding the funds have no clue who Sam is, or why they'd be holding his money. H&R Block's only response is to charge Sam $2 whenever he calls their customer service line for help. More »
loans
Know your financial obligations: Though you let your car get voluntarily repossessed, you're still responsible for the unpaid balance on the loan, plus any storage and transportation fees, plus interest charges. [
New York, 8:33 PM
Fri Jul 3
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