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Spanish-speakers in Louisiana struggle to gain access to financial services
Appleseed Louisiana has released a study focused on immigrant banking experiences in the New Orleans area. The report encourages area banks and credit unions to adopt policies and practices that will better meet the needs of Latino immigrants. Comments: 1

Overdraft fees: How to beat the bank
Video report of one man's war with Wells Fargo about overdraft fees. Comments: 0

Forced arbitration ubiquitous in consumer contracts
A report from Public Citizen reveals that mandatory binding arbitration clauses, or “forced arbitration,” are prevalent in consumer contracts. Seventy-five percent of companies in eight industries used forced arbitration, according to the report. Comments: 2

Prepaid cards: New report finds fees, gotchas
A new report finds that upon close examination, prepaid debit cards are laden with numerous types of fees and other gotchas. Comments: 0

Short-term payday loans force customers to quickly re-borrow
The Center for Responsible Lending (CRL) has issued a report on payday loans which finds that three quarters of loan volume in the industry is generated by borrowers who, after meeting the short-term due date of the loan, must re-borrow before their next pay period. Comments: 0

“Day of Action” highlights impact of recession on communities
From Chicago to San Francisco, Birmingham to Detroit and in more than 50 cities across the country, the National Community Reinvestment Coalition (NCRC) held public rallies and events at 54 locations across the U.S. calling for greater accountability and integrity in the U.S. financial system. Comments: 0

FDIC study: Serving the unbanked and underbanked
In the first national survey of banks' efforts to serve unbanked and underbanked individuals and families in their market areas, the FDIC found that improvement may be possible in certain areas. Comments: 0

Could regulations have prevented the economic crisis?
A new report by the Congressional Oversight Committee points to three areas of regulation that could have prevented the current economic crisis. Comments: 0

Old debt gets new rates: Citigroup raises credit card rates
An article by Tim Westrich of the Center for American Progress discusses Citigroup's announcement that it would raise its credit card interest rates on 20 percent of its customers, just weeks after accepting $25 billion from the federal government. Comments: 1

Study reveals impact of overdraft fees on older Americans
The Center for Responsible Lending has published a report that reveals how unauthorized overdrafts fees strip $4.5 billion per year from Americans 55 and older. The study found that nearly $1 billion of that money comes from people who are heavily dependent on Social Security income. Comments: 0