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Small Dollar Lending Guidelines from the CFPB

April 10, 2012

Katy Welter Chicago Appleseed Fund for Justice The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) released “Examination Procedures: Short-term, Small Dollar...

Financial Education

National Financial Literacy Month: Improving Access & Quality

April 2, 2012

Last year, President Obama proclaimed April as National Financial Literacy Month, calling it a time to “recommit to improving financial literacy and ensuring all...

Car Title Lending

March Legislative Update

March 28, 2012

This legislative season there are a number of asset building and asset protection bills before the Illinois General Assembly. Here’s our March Legislative Update:...

Asset Poverty

Underwater in Chicago’s Communities Of Color

March 27, 2012

Last week, the Woodstock Institute released their report “Struggling to Stay Afloat: Negative Equity in Communities of Color in the Chicago Six County Region.”...

Children's Savings Accounts

What Would Universal Children’s Savings Accounts Look Like in Illinois?

This fact sheet provides a snap shot of the recommendations put forth by the Children’s Savings Account Task Force. The Task Force recommended that CSAs are created at...

Retirement Security

Auto IRA Fact Sheet

These fact sheets provide an overview of the Automatic IRA bills introduced in the Illinois General Assembly in 2012 – HB4497 / SB3278. The State of Illinois should...

Access to Banking

A Look at the Banking Choices Of Low-income Individuals

March 22, 2012

Banking the unbanked has been an important part of the asset building policy agenda. Low-income individuals, in particular, get strapped with high fees when executing routine...

Predatory Lending

House Passes Bill to Regulate Unlicensed Online & Out-Of-State Lenders

March 19, 2012

Legislators in the Illinois House overwhelmingly passed a bill to stop lenders who illegally make loans from collecting any amount of an outstanding loan. The bill, HB 3935,...

Predatory Lending

Car Title Loan Abuses to Continue in Illinois

March 2, 2012

Legislation to limit interest on car title loans failed to make it out of House committee this week, a disappointing setback that keeps Illinois in the minority of states...