As more states move towards pushing licensed and regulated payday lenders out of their borders, a report by the New York Fed shows that consumers in states with payday loan bans are actually suffering from more bounced check penalties and filing for bankruptcy at a higher rate.
A report filed by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York in 2008 studied the effects of payday loan bans in Georgia and North Carolina in 2004 and 2005, respectively. According to the report, consumers in these states bounced more checks, sent more complaints to the Federal Trade Commission regarding debt collectors, and filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy more often in the years following these bans.
Below are excerpts from this report.
“Georgians and North Carolinians do not seem better off since their states outlawed payday credit: they have bounced more checks, complained more about lenders and debt collectors, and have filed for Chapter 7 (”no asset”) bankruptcy at a higher rate.”
“On average, the Federal Reserve check processing center in Atlanta returned 1.2 million more checks per year after the ban. At $30 per item, depositors paid an extra $36 million per year in bounced check fees after the ban.”
“Total complaints against lenders and debt collectors [in North Carolina] rose by over a third relative to other states….”
“[Overall,] Chapter 7 filing rates increased… 8.5 percent [under the ban].”
To read this report in full, please click here.
With more states trying to put anti-payday laws on the books, it’s important for consumers to have their voice be heard and speak out for their financial rights. If you are in a state that is considering payday loan bans and value your right to reliable short-term credit, speak up.
Click here to contact your congressman and let your voice be heard.