Top Features
Who Borrows From Payday Lenders?
Analysis from Amanda Logan and Christian E. Weller of newly available data gives insight into who turns to payday lenders for help and why.
Putting Credit Card Debt on Notice
Report from Tim Westrich on using electronic reminders to give consumers the right information at the right time.
House of Cards
Report details the relationship between slowly growing U.S. mortgage markets and the suddenly aggressive growth of credit card debt.Other Credit & Debt Features
September 30, 2009
Deficits and Debt 101
Michael Linden answers basic questions on federal deficits and debt and what can be done to reduce them.
August 4, 2009
Grading on a Curve
Andrew Jakabovics reviews the first report on the performance of mortgage service companies charged with modifying at-risk home mortgages. There’s reason to be disappointed by some of the biggest players.
July 10, 2009
The Payday Lending Trap
A new report from the Center for Responsible Lending verifies pernicious payday lending practices, yet another indication of dangerous consumer lending practices, writes Amanda Logan.
April 9, 2009
Una Advertencia sobre los Préstamos de Día de Pago
Los préstamos de día de pago terminan siendo muy costosos para las familias, particularmente para las minorías y las personas con bajos ingresos, indica Raúl Arce-Contreras.
April 7, 2009
A Word of Caution on Payday Loans
Payday loans end up being very costly for families, particularly minorities and those of low income, writes Raul Arce-Contreras.
April 7, 2009
Ask the Expert: A Close Look at Payday Lending
Amanda Logan on what payday loans are, who uses them, and why policymakers are concerned.
March 19, 2009
Warning: Credit Card Practices Can Be Detrimental to Your (and Their) Health
Here is another example from the list of “things that we saw coming, but nobody cared.” Credit card companies are suffering from record default rates. In the fourth quarter of 2008, credit card companies charged off—declared as uncollectible—a whopping 6.3 percent of their debt. Aside from a fluke spike in the data in the first quarter of 2002, this was the largest charge-off rate since the Federal Reserve began collecting these data in 1980.
December 16, 2008
What Bank Mergers Mean for Credit Cards
Consolidation under the financial crisis could mean higher penalties and fees for consumers, write David Balto and Tim Westrich.
October 2, 2008
Video: Fixing the Credit Markets
Ed Paisley on what happened in the credit markets, why it happened, and what we can do.
September 29, 2008
Bailout Package Necessary, but Only the First Step
The Center for American Progress argues that President Bush’s financial rescue plan requires overwhelming congressional support even though more needs to be done to help Main Street.
September 24, 2008
The Greater Fool
The Bush administration may include all kinds of "troubled" assets in the $700 billion financial rescue package, not just home mortgage assets. That’s a fundamentally bad idea, writes Ed Paisley.
September 24, 2008
Help for Main Street
Landmark credit card protections passed by the House in the midst of bailout negotiations are good news for consumers, writes Tim Westrich.
September 23, 2008
Warning $700 Billion: Handle with Care
Treasury Secretary Paulson needs help and oversight if U.S. taxpayers are going to help the nation weather the global financial crisis, writes Michael Ettlinger.
September 23, 2008
Fair and Effective
Congress needs to ensure the $700 billion financial rescue package helps Main Street and Wall Street. Our plan does that, as this illustration details.
September 21, 2008
Neither Fair Nor Effective
Treasury Secretary’s $700 billion proposal to rescue Wall Street ignores Main Street, which Congress needs to fix, write David Abromowitz and Andrew Jakabovics.
September 19, 2008
Parsing the Paulson Plan
U.S. Treasury Secretary Paulson’s newest plan to resolve the global credit crisis comes none to soon. Congress must ensure it protects not merely firms but families, writes Ed Paisley.
September 17, 2008
Another Predictable Black Monday
Unsupervised financial markets led to today’s crisis on Wall Street, just as unsupervised mortgage lending led to today’s housing crisis, writes Andrew Jakabovics.
September 16, 2008
Credit Card Showdown
Both Congress and the Fed could pass much-needed protections to help consumers manage rising credit card debt, writes Tim Westrich.
September 4, 2008
Americans' Dangerous Last Resort
Tim Westrich explains that Americans are turning to more harmful credit card debt to cover rising costs as standards tighten on other types of debt.
September 2, 2008
Avoiding Costly Overdrafts: Think Twice Before You Swipe Your Debit Card
Even checking accounts—probably the most basic account in banking—contain a plethora of hidden traps these days and practice a type of “gotcha capitalism” that will get you if you don’t take a few steps to avoid the most common pitfalls.
July 30, 2008
Zero Hour on Credit Cards
House Committee considers landmark legislation that would mandate a higher level of fairness in credit card terms.
July 22, 2008
Your First Car Loan: Know Before You Go
So, you’re finally on your own with a new job. If you’re like most Americans, a car is a necessary item—88 percent of Americans use their car to get to work. The path to getting an auto loan is full of pitfalls that can extract extra money over the course of the loan. And with the price of gas at record levels, getting a car that will serve your needs and fit into your budget may require some planning.
July 22, 2008
401(k) Financial Planning
Borrowing from retirement savings is sometimes necessary, but families shouldn't have to tap these funds now due to poor health or unemployment, says Christian E. Weller.
July 22, 2008
Six of One, Half Dozen of the Other
As consumers are less able to access home equity loans, they are turning to credit cards to continue their consumption—meaning it’s more important than ever to improve credit card terms.
July 2, 2008
The Young and the Indebted
High fees, high interest rates, and complex terms that come with credit cards are particularly damaging to increasing numbers of young people who use plastic.
July 1, 2008
Credit Cards and the College Bottleneck
A House subcommittee hearing examines the need for stricter limits on credit card companies as students struggle to cope with increasing education expenses.
June 26, 2008
Students Need Help Combating Credit Card Debt
Erica Williams of Campus Progress Action testifies before House Financial Services Subcommittee on credit card problems that affect students.
May 2, 2008
Plastic Reforms
Regulators and lawmakers shouldn’t miss the opportunity to help Americans avoid “credit card hell.”
April 29, 2008
The State of Minorities
Hispanic and African-American households are likely to suffer first and to suffer more in the current economic downturn, write Tim Westrich and Amanda Logan.
April 29, 2008
El Estado de las Minorías
April 22, 2008
Record Gas Prices Add Pressure to Already Squeezed Consumers
As gas prices rise and the economy falls, consumers are running out of ways to save money and pay for extra expenses, writes Christian E. Weller.
April 18, 2008
Problems with Plastic: Credit Card Debt Hits Record High
Credit card debt hits record high as U.S. consumers try to cope with economic downturn, writes Tim Westrich.
April 17, 2008
Bush's Bankruptcy Legacy: Three Years and Nearly 1.5 Million Bankruptcy Filings Later
Three years after changes in bankruptcy law, nearly 1.5 million individuals have filed for personal bankruptcy.
April 2, 2008
Helping Homeowners: Congress Takes Big Step Forward
Quick action to help American homeowners is now in train on Capitol Hill, writes Andrew Jakabovics. That's good news for the economy.
March 13, 2008
Credit Card Crash-Test
Every day, average American families' financial health is challenged on all fronts: fewer job opportunities, declining home values, and rising prices for necessities like health care, education and child care. With the prospect that gas could approach $4 per gallon this summer, many Americans' budgets will reach a breaking point. Too many families are only a layoff or medical emergency away from financial ruin.
March 13, 2008
Finally Real Answers: Congress Moves on Housing Crisis
Sen. Dodd and Rep. Frank introduce sweeping proposals to U.S. housing crisis, taking steps beyond Bush rhetoric, writes Andrew Jakabovics
March 13, 2008
What’s in Your Wallet? Congress Investigates Credit Card Terms
A hearing in Congress this week calls for a reality check on convoluted cardholder agreements, writes Tim Westrich.
February 27, 2008
The Golden Parachute: CEO Severance and the Housing Crisis by the Numbers
As the housing crisis worsened, several CEOs found their companies in a mess of trouble, then left with hefty checks. CAP takes a look.
February 22, 2008
Christian Weller Guest Blogs on Credit Slips
February 19, 2008
Do the Math on Recession and Foreclosures
February 19, 2008
Sliding into the Great Deflation
January 31, 2008
Addressing Foreclosures: A Great American Dream Neighborhood Stabilization Plan
David Abromowitz presents the Great American Neighborhood Stabilization Plan to address the glut of foreclosed properties across the country.
January 29, 2008
Quick Action For Housing Crisis: Market Indicators Are Tumbling
The latest data shows that homeowners and neighborhoods need targeted federal help now, write David Abromowitz and Andrew Jakabovics.
January 23, 2008
Solving the Housing Crisis: Key Legislator Embraces CAP Plan
The Senate Banking Committee chairman unveils Federal Homeownership Preservation Corp, a plan based on CAP proposal.
January 15, 2008
No Day at the Spa: Rejuvenating the Economy Won’t be Easy
Christian Weller examines the latest consumer spending numbers and possible long-term housing trends. Government intervention is the solution.
January 7, 2008
Get Real: Bush Economic Proposals Are All Wrong
More tax cuts and more deregulation are the wrong way to aid the economy. Helping the middle class is the key to prosperity.
December 21, 2007
Unbridled Markets: Conservatives Embrace Securitization Run Amok
The subprime mortgage securitization debacle may be the most profound legacy of the Bush era, writes Scott Lilly.
December 19, 2007
You’re a Mean One, Mr. Grinch
Christian E. Weller and Amanda Logan on the choice facing consumers this holiday season: borrow less or go broke.
December 11, 2007
Economic Snapshot for December 2007
Families are still feeling the pressure of low growth, says Christian E. Weller, but we can put the economy back on track.
November 28, 2007
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