Consumer Protections

About this Policy

We continue to see wealth stripped from communities across Illinois by dangerous and abusive financial products and practices. These financial products and services – including payday and auto title lenders, currency exchanges, unregulated paid-tax preparers, debt collectors, and more – contribute to the financial insecurity of Illinois families and communities. While often marketed as a way to weather a financial storm or to make it to the next paycheck, predatory loans trap people in a cycle of debt that can take years to recover from.

Predatory products disproportionately strip wealth from communities of color, which contributes to the growing racial wealth divide. To build racial equity, we must advocate for strong consumer protections, and begin to create policies that build financial security. It’s time our policymakers put an end to abusive lending practices and predatory financial services that trap families in a cycle of debt and leave communities economically insecure.

 

Policy Highlights

    Wealth Stripping in Illinois

    Predatory financial products and services are stripping wealth from Illinois communities and families.

    Payday Lending: Payday loans in Illinois continue to have interest rates above 300%.  According to IDFPR, between February 2006 through December 2013, 900,083 consumers took out 5,229,044 loans, or an average of 5.8 loans per consumer. The average annual income of these borrowers was less than $30,000 per year. Hear one person’s experience with payday loans.

    Auto Title Lending:  The number of auto title loans issued in Illinois and the amount of fees paid by consumers has steadily increased between 2009 and 2013. In 2009, Illinois consumers borrowed an estimated 73,116 title loans. By 2013, that number had increased to 100,698 title loans. Between 2009 and 2013, the average title loan fees increased by 47.9%. In 2013, borrowers paid an average of $25.5 million per month in fees to title lenders. Learn more.

    Fines, Fees & Debt Collection: Fines and fees from traffic violations, the court system, and utilities can rack up quickly, pushing Illinois families into debt. For instance, the Illinois Statutory Court Fee Task Force found that just participating in a court case can cost thousands of dollars. In 2017, currency exchanges in Illinois requested an increase in check cashing rates. When families can’t keep up with these expenses, they are often faced with a grueling debt collections process or other significant consequences, like losing their driver’s license.

    Unfair Auto Insurance Rates: Many Illinoisans rely on cars for daily transportation, yet auto insurance premiums are often unaffordable and unfairly priced. Auto insurance rates are often based on where you live, your credit score, and similar personal factors, rather than being based on how safely you drive. According to Consumer Reports, a good driver in Illinois with poor credit pays $1,535 more than a good driver with excellent credit.

     

    Policy Priorities

    Prevent Predatory Lending. Illinois should follow the lead of many states and establish a 36% interest rate cap on consumer loans by passing the Predatory Loan Prevention Act. The Predatory Loan Prevention Act (SB1792) was passed by the Illinois General Assembly and is on its way to the Governor’s Office.

    Defend the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB). The Consumer Bureau is a U.S. government agency that regulates the financial marketplace and ensures that banks, lenders, and other financial companies treat us all fairly. They help rein in the worst abuses of predatory financial products and practices. The Consumer Bureau faces threats that would significantly weaken its ability to protect consumers. We will be advocating to defend the Consumer Bureau, along with its payday loan rule and other important rules.

    Rein in the Cost of Gas Bills. Peoples Gas began replacing the pipes that carry gas to our neighborhoods in 1981. In 2013, the Illinois General Assembly granted Peoples Gas permission to use a surcharge on our bills to speed the project up. Illinois should ends the permission to use the surcharge, which drives up gas bills.

    Oppose “Sandbox” Bills. Bare bones “sandbox” initiatives allow companies to test “innovative” financial products on Illinoisans without commonsense consumer protections.

    Advocate for strong federal regulations. The Consumer Bureau has the power to protect us from abusive and illegal financial practices. They should implement the strongest possible rules to curb the worst abuses of payday lending, auto title lending, debt collection, and predatory student loans.

    Defend Existing State Laws. While our existing state laws do not go far enough to protect consumers, the predatory lending industry is constantly working to strip consumers of existing protections. We must defend against efforts to weaken existing small dollar loan laws, debt collection laws, and other current protections in Illinois law.

    Policy Victories

    Strengthened the wage assignment process in Illinois so that borrowers in default understand their rights.

    Protected workers from losing their wages to abusive fees associated with payroll cards, creating the strongest payroll card regulations in the country.

    Ensured that savings accounts for individuals with disabilities, ABLE accounts, are protected from debt collection.

    Passed the Consumer Fairness Act of 2019, which decreased the post-judgment interest rate and limited the time frame to collect on a judgment, helping consumers pay down their debt in a timely manner.

    Passed the License to Work Act, ending the use of driver’s license suspension for non-moving violations.

    Defended consumer protections laws from being weakened or repealed.

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