National Consumer Law Center

06/16/2026

Now Available: Home Foreclosures, 2026 Third Edition!

Home Foreclosures is the definitive resource for navigating every aspect of the foreclosure process. This authoritative guide addresses all loan types and includes step-by-step prevention strategies, state-by-state breakdowns, and a comprehensive library of practical litigation tools.

• Authority to Foreclose
• Defenses to Judicial and Non-Judicial Foreclosures
• Specialized Foreclosures & Liens
• Litigation & Prevention Tactics
• State Laws & Federal Regulatory Resources
• Searchable Litigation Aids
• Practice Tools & Checklists

06/15/2026

Banks and credit unions earn significant revenue from overdraft and nonsufficient funds (NSF) fees, according to a new NCLC report. The total could exceed $12.4 billion in 2025, up from an estimated $12.1 billion in 2024.

These fees are overwhelmingly paid by “economically disadvantaged households, which have lower incomes and lower credit scores and are more likely to incur multiple fees,” the report noted. Black and Latin households are more likely to incur overdraft fees than white households.

“Overdraft fees are just a revenue machine for banks, and they are now looking to increase those profits on the back of struggling families,” said Lauren Saunders, an NCLC senior attorney who co-authored the report. “If banks want to give people small-dollar loans as an affordable way to bridge shortfalls, they can do that, but they should do it honestly, rather than gouging them on the back end with overdraft fees.” Consumers' Checkbook

Despite predictions that overdraft fees were being eliminated, they remain a costly burden for many consumers.

06/15/2026

She offered the asking price. The seller said yes. Then the seller found out she was Black.

Raven Baxter, Ph.D. fought back — and won. Now she’s bringing that story to the NFHA 2026 National Conference for a fireside chat with NFHA President & CEO Lisa Rice on Sunday, June 28.

In person in D.C. or streaming live. , the conversation is two weeks away.

🔗 Register: bit.ly/NFHANC26

06/15/2026

“The VA Partial Claim Program will help Veterans avoid foreclosures,” said Steve Sharpe, senior attorney at the National Consumer Law Center (NCLC). “VA’s final guidance is an improvement over the proposal and incorporates our recommendations to help homeowners keep their homes and pay off their mortgages.”

Mortgage servicers, however, are not required to offer the new Partial Claim Program until late November of this year. As a result, until November, Veterans may face foreclosure and payment increases rather than receiving the promised relief.

“VA must direct mortgage servicers to refrain from proceeding with foreclosures on VA loans until the company’s partial claim program is operational. It also should direct servicers not to offer payment increase modifications to borrowers who will be eligible for Partial Claims,” said Sharpe. “Veterans must not lose their homes or face a significantly higher mortgage payment because their servicer has not yet implemented the VA's new program.”

The new Partial Claim Program will allow some Veterans struggling to pay their mortgages to defer past-due payments to the end of their loans.

06/12/2026

Providers may offer special medical credit cards to help you finance the cost of an expensive procedure. But be careful.

NCLC advocates warn that “medical credit cards may also charge even higher interest rates than other credit cards … and medical credit cards frequently offer deceptive deferred-interest plans.”

So make sure you fully understand the terms, including whether you risk retroactively assessed interest.

Weighed down by medical debt? Here's how to negotiate medical bills in collections—and, for the future, how to tackle costs earlier.

06/11/2026

While the idea of not having to pay almost $800 up front sounds attractive, using a security deposit alternative can be costlier than putting down a traditional deposit, according to a recent National Consumer Law Center report.

“Security deposit alternative products attempt to evade state laws designed to protect tenants,” said NCLC senior attorney April Kuehnhoff. “They are marketed as a helpful tool for renters struggling to raise the sizable fees required to move into a new apartment. But in reality, they’re just another way to extract profits from tenants with low incomes.” Forbes

Some renters are turning to security deposit installment plans to lower move-in expenses, but a new report warns the convenience can come at a price. Security deposit alternative platforms claim to make security deposits more affordable with smaller more frequent payments instead of a large upfro

06/11/2026

Nationally, renters pay hundreds of millions of dollars per year in junk fees, according to a 2025 National Consumer Law Center report.

“What people need to understand is junk fees are fees not for landlords’ actual costs. They are fees for the sole purpose of making the tenant pay more money for nothing,” said Esther Patt, director of the Champaign-Urbana Tenant Union.

Read NCLC's report: https://www.nclc.org/resources/what-the-heck-dude-how-states-can-fight-rental-housing-junk-fees/ Chicago Tribune

As costs to rent apartments continue to climb, especially in Chicago, Illinois lawmakers passed legislation banning many hidden charges, such as move-in fees, from leases.

06/10/2026

On Friday June 5, the Russell Vought-led Consumer Financial Protection ( ) issued a statement advising lenders to consider a borrower’s immigration status in assessing their ability to pay mortgage or credit card loans.

The statement advises lenders that the Truth in Lending Act’s ability-to-repay requirements may obligate them to consider immigration status, especially where removal from the United States may disrupt the consumer’s income. However, the statement is only advisory and even states that “it has no legally binding effect."

“This statement does not and cannot change existing law, which means it cannot impose a hard-and-fast requirement that lenders consider immigration status,” said Alys Cohen, director of housing advocacy and acting co-director of federal advocacy at the National Consumer Law Center (NCLC). “Ironically, in May 2025, the Vought-led CFPB criticized the last Bureau administration for using non-binding guidance.”

New CFPB Advisory Telling Banks To Consider Immigration Status Does Not Create a New Legal Requirement

06/08/2026

"The Federal Reserve Board and Office of the Comptroller of the Currency should continue to uphold the standards of national banks and reject these unprecedented applications," said Mike Calhoun, president of the Center for Responsible Lending. "Any action on Enova's and OppFi's applications must uphold the basic requirement that national banks provide fair, affordable loans and make explicit that harmful high-cost lending cannot be housed in a national bank charter." via American Banker

Applications from Enova International and Opportunity Financial for national bank charters present a danger to consumers. The Federal Reserve and Office of the Comptroller of the Currency should block them.

06/05/2026

𝐃𝐢𝐬𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐑𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐄𝐧𝐝𝐬 𝐓𝐨𝐝𝐚𝐲 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟔 𝐌𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐠𝐚𝐠𝐞 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐟𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞! Join us online for expert-led sessions on need-to-know topics and pressing issues facing vulnerable homeowners in 2026.

Essential Sessions Include:

• Intro to Mortgage Servicing
• Zombie Second Mortgage Update
• Loss Mitigation Update
• Ethics in Fair Lending

𝐑𝐞𝐠𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐨𝐝𝐚𝐲!

Join us virtually for expert-led sessions on need-to-know topics and pressing issues facing vulnerable homeowners in 2026.