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Daily News: Keep Payday Loans out of N.Y.: Politicians are Pocketing Campaign Funds from the Check-Cashing Industry and Considering an Economically Dangerous Policy Change
Daily News — A staggeringly bad anti-consumer bill that would allow check-cashing stores to start making loans is quietly winding its way through the state Legislature, advanced by lawmakers who ought to know better — and who happen to have received hefty donations from the check-cashing industry.
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New York Times: Overdraft Practices Continue to Gut Bank Accounts and Haunt Customers
New York Times — Angelina Lemus was puzzled. She had no idea why every month as much as $96 was disappearing from her Citibank checking account. Months later, Ms. Lemus finally figured out the mystery — or at least part of it. Citibank was taking out the money to pay a loan, with an interest…
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City & State NY: Credit Scores Yet Another Obstacle in the Quest for Affordable Housing
City & State NY — Carmen Vega-Rivera jokes that she’s spent so much time in Bronx Housing Court that she sometimes checks to see if her portrait has been put up on the walls.
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Human Rights Watch: Rubber Stamp Justice
A new report from Human Rights Watch cites New Economy Project’s research in an examination of the pernicious effects of the debt buyer industry, which exploits the nation’s courts to drain millions of dollars from low-income neighborhoods and communities of color.
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New York Times: Banks Reject New York City IDs, Leaving ‘Unbanked’ on Sidelines
New York Times — Nearly a year ago, Mayor Bill de Blasio proclaimed that a new municipal identification card would help thousands of New Yorkers “lead fuller lives, better lives, lives full of respect and recognition.” … But some of the biggest banks in the city — including JPMorgan Chase, Bank of America and Citigroup…
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El Diario: Justo Reembolso tras Robo de Identidad
El Diario — El robo de su identidad llevó a la dominicana Iris Mateo a enfrentar un adeudo de $2,000 en tarjetas de crédito de CitiBank, y el acoso constante de la compañía de cobro de deudas Mel S. Harris and Associates.
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2015 Media Roundup
A snapshot of New Economy Project’s media coverage in 2015.
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The Nation: How Debt Collectors Ruin Lives
The Nation — A midnight call from a stranger, threatening to ruin your finances, throw you in jail, and make your family’s life hell, if you don’t forfeit a chunk of your bank account. Before you call the cops to report a mob shakedown, beware: the shady voice on the line could actually have the…
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Rochester Democrat & Chronicle: Debt Collector Scam Resolution: Refunds Coming
Rochester Democrat & Chronicle — Thousands of Monroe County residents who had their wages garnished by unscrupulous debt collectors may be entitled to compensation.
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Buffalo News: Debt-Collection Settlement from Class-Action Lawsuit could Benefit More than 7,000 in Erie County
The Buffalo News — More than 7,000 Erie County residents could benefit from a class-action settlement with a debt-collection firm accused of using deceptive tactics to win judgments against unsuspecting individuals.
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New York Times: Victims of Debt Collection Scheme in New York Win $59 Million in Settlement
For press inquiries, email press@neweconomynyc.org. Tens of thousands of New Yorkers who had their wages garnished or bank accounts frozen in a surreptitious debt collection scheme will receive $59 million in a class-action settlement that also bars a major network of collectors from continuing the practice.
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Daily News: Lessons from the RushCard Fiasco: New York Needs Stronger Protections on Prepaid Debit Cards
Daily News — If there’s a silver lining to the recent RushCard debacle, it’s that it has exposed systemic failings in the prepaid debit-card industry and provided the clearest and most harrowing illustration yet of why strong oversight is needed.