Tag: CFPB

Credit, Debt Relief, Timothy Kingcade Posts

Citibank Ordered to Stop Collections on $34 Million in Credit Card Debt, Fined $8 Million

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The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) fined Citibank $8 million last week for allegedly selling credit card debt with inflated interest rates and failing to send consumers’ payments to debt buyers. The credit card giant has also agreed to stop collections on $34 million in credit card debt held by nearly 7,000 consumers.

The CFPB said that Citibank hired two debt collection law firms, Faloni & Associates, LLC, and Solomon & Solomon, P.C., who reportedly altered affidavits filed in New Jersey debt collection lawsuits. Both firms are accused of changing either the dates of the affidavits or the amount owed; in some cases both, after they were executed, which is a violation of the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act.  Citibank claims the agency first learned of violations in 2011 and stopped referring new credit card accounts to it.

In a separate action, the CFPB ordered Citibank to refund $11 million to consumers who were affected by the alleged altered affidavits and nearly $5 million to approximately 2,100 consumers who were affected by the inflated APRs. Citibank has complied and has already issued refunds. Citibank did not admit or deny any of the CFPB’s allegations as part of the enforcement actions.

Fair debt collection practices have been a focus for the CFPB in recent years. Both JPMorgan Chase and American Express have been fined millions for illegal debt collection practices involving credit card debt.

CFPB Director Richard Cordray said in a press release, “Citibank sent inaccurate information to buyers when it sold off credit card debt and it also used law firms that altered court documents. Today’s action provides redress to consumers who were victimized by slipshod practices as part of our ongoing work to fight abuses in the debt collection market.”

If you have any questions on this topic or are in financial crisis and considering filing for bankruptcy, contact an experienced Miami bankruptcy attorney who can advise you of all of your options. As an experienced CPA as well as a proven bankruptcy lawyer, Timothy Kingcade knows how to help clients take full advantage of the bankruptcy laws to protect their assets and get successful results. Since 1996 Kingcade & Garcia, P.A. has been helping people from all walks of life build a better tomorrow. Our attorneys’ help thousands of people every year take advantage of their rights under bankruptcy protection to restart, rebuild and recover. The day you hire our firm, we will contact your creditors to stop the harassment. You can also find useful consumer information on the Kingcade & Garcia website at www.miamibankruptcy.com.

Related Resources:

http://www.foxbusiness.com/features/2016/02/24/citibank-will-stop-collecting-34-million-in-credit-card-debt.html

http://www.americanbanker.com/news/law-regulation/cfpb-fines-citibank-8m-over-debt-collections-1079533-1.html

 

Bankruptcy Law, Credit, Timothy Kingcade Posts

CFPB Issues Warning about Student Loan Debt Relief Scams

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The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) has issued an advisory warning to consumers about student loan debt relief companies. While the CFPB warns all student borrowers to stay away from companies with aggressive marketing tactics that promise savings of thousands of dollars on their loans, it is also taking steps toward stopping these companies from engaging in illegal practices.

In a recent lawsuit against Student Loan Processing, the CFPB and Florida’s Attorney General shut down student loan debt relief company College Education Services for its illegal practices. These scams are all too common. The CFPB has provided some useful tips to help student borrowers recognize the red flags associated with student loan debt relief scams.

1.) Upfront fees. No upfront fees should ever be charged by a student loan debt relief company. In addition, you should not be required to sign a contract with the company. The CFPB notes that free assistance is available through your student loan servicer and advises that oftentimes taking upfront payment before debt relief services have been provided is illegal.

2.) Promises. Student loan debt relief companies will often promise borrowers loan forgiveness or even complete cancellation. The false promise of negotiating with your lender under federal student loan programs is a flat out lie.

3.) Signing documents. Student loan debt relief companies should not require that you sign a “third party authorization” or a “power of attorney.”

4.) Requests for your Federal Student Aid PIN: Borrowers should be extremely cautious of any student loan debt relief company that asks for this information. The CFPB states that, “honest companies will work with you to come up with a plan and will never use your PIN to access your student loan information.”

For borrowers who are struggling with student loan debt, relief options are available. Many student loan borrowers are unaware that they have rights and repayment options available to them, such as postponement of loan payments, reduction of payments or even a complete discharge of the debt. It is important you contact an experienced Miami bankruptcy attorney who can advise you of all of your options. As an experienced CPA as well as a proven bankruptcy lawyer, Timothy Kingcade knows how to help clients take full advantage of the bankruptcy laws to protect their assets and get successful results. Since 1996 Kingcade & Garcia, P.A. has been helping people from all walks of life build a better tomorrow. Our attorneys’ help thousands of people every year take advantage of their rights under bankruptcy protection to restart, rebuild and recover. The day you hire our firm, we will contact your creditors to stop the harassment. You can also find useful consumer information on the Kingcade & Garcia website at http://www.miamibankruptcy.com.

Related Resources:
http://www.consumerfinancialserviceslawmonitor.com/2014/12/cfpb-issues-warning-to-consumers-and-springs-into-action-against-student-debt-relief-scams/

Bankruptcy Law, Credit, Timothy Kingcade Posts

Sallie Mae Faces Nearly $200 Million in Penalties for Cheating Active Duty Troops

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Sallie Mae and its former loan unit, Navient have struck a deal with federal authorities to resolve allegations that it cheated active duty troops and other borrowers who were being charged late fees.

According to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), service members have complained that companies such as Sallie Mae and Navient have told them they could not receive protections under the law unless their loans were in forbearance or deferment.

Sallie Mae and Navient more than doubled to $173 million- the amount they have set aside to cover settlements resolving these allegations brought by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. (FDIC) and the Dept. of Justice. Navient has acknowledged the federal government’s investigation into allegations the company cheated active-duty troops in violation of the Service Members Civil Relief Act from November 28, 2005 to present day.

Under the Service Members Civil Relief Act, loan companies must reduce the interest rate on student loans to no more than 6 percent upon request by active duty troops. As of 2008, the law extended beyond private student loans to include federal student loans.

In addition, troops have told the CFPB that their servicers wrongly told them the 6 percent interest-rate cap expired annually, and they were required to submit additional paperwork to retain it. Others were discouraged from applying for the protections contained in the service members’ law, while some were mistakenly told that the benefits are only available to those in combat zones.

Furthermore, some service members told the CFPB that they were told to provide end dates for their tours on active duty, a requirement that is virtually impossible to meet, since officers in the armed forces are usually not told when their tours will end.

Rohit Chopra, the consumer bureau’s top student loan expert, told the Senate “that companies that fail to comply with the service members’ law may be cheating borrowers in other ways.”

A settlement resolving the service members’ allegations would need to be approved by the Education Department and require the companies to establish a $60 million fund to compensate troops for violating the service members’ law when it comes to student loans.

Click here to read more on this story.

For borrowers who are struggling with student loan debt, relief options are available. Many student loan borrowers are unaware that they have rights and repayment options available to them, such as postponement of loan payments, reduction of payments or even a complete discharge of the debt. It is important you contact an experienced Miami bankruptcy attorney who can advise you of all of your options. As an experienced CPA as well as a proven bankruptcy lawyer, Timothy Kingcade knows how to help clients take full advantage of the bankruptcy laws to protect their assets and get successful results. Since 1996 Kingcade & Garcia, P.A. has been helping people from all walks of life build a better tomorrow. Our attorneys’ help thousands of people every year take advantage of their rights under bankruptcy protection to restart, rebuild and recover. The day you hire our firm, we will contact your creditors to stop the harassment. You can also find useful consumer information on the Kingcade & Garcia website at www.miamibankruptcy.com.

Credit, Foreclosures, Timothy Kingcade Posts

NEW Mortgage Protections for Members of the Military

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The responsibilities of home ownership and having a mortgage are demanding enough for the average consumer, but the process becomes increasingly more complicated for borrowers who are serving our country.

To help ease these hardships- which include job and relocation stress, along with time constraints- the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) has written new mortgage protections for these consumers, which are now in place for military men and women.

Holly Petraeus, head of the CFPB’s military office said the new rules have come after the CFPB conducted nationwide listening sessions and heard stories from military families about poor mortgage servicing practices, inconsistent foreclosure practices and sloppy recordkeeping by lenders. These new rules will help military families struggling with a mortgage and those that just got orders requiring them to relocate.

Some of CFPB’s new rules include:

• Require a servicer to evaluate a borrower for all available options as soon as they receive an application for mortgage help.

• Servicers must have policies in place to ensure consistent and constant contact with borrowers.

• One of the big changes relates to what is known as dual-tracking. In the past, a member of the military struggling to make a mortgage payment might have been working on a potential loan modification at the same time their servicer was moving to foreclose on the home. This practice is now restricted under the new rules.

• Eliminate the issue of misplacing documents and other factors that make it hard for borrowers to get accurate and consistent answers regarding their mortgage.

• Mortgage servicers are now required to train their employees to be more readily able to answer questions for borrowers who run into trouble and must assign someone to help military borrowers to ensure a positive experience.

• In the past, service members had to apply multiple times for programs to help keep their homes. The new rules require mortgage servicers to evaluate a borrower who files a complete application for help for all the options that are available to that borrower. This will eliminate multiple rounds of applications.

Click here to read more on this story.

Choosing the right attorney can make the difference between whether or not you can keep your home. A well-qualified Miami foreclosure defense attorney will not only help you keep your home, but they will be able to negotiate a loan that has payments you can afford. Miami foreclosure defense attorney Timothy Kingcade has helped many facing foreclosure alleviate their stress by letting them stay in their homes for at least another year, allowing them to re-organize their lives. If you have any questions on the topic of foreclosure please feel free to contact me at (305) 285-9100. You can also find useful consumer information on the Kingcade & Garcia website at www.miamibankruptcy.com.

Foreclosures, Timothy Kingcade Posts

Consumer Groups Criticize New Mortgage Rules

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The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) announced its new mortgage rules last week that would protect borrowers from risky mortgages. Some consumer groups are criticizing the rules with the argument that these rules only protect the banks. One of the CFPB’s new rules is that lenders cannot issue mortgages to those who do not have the “ability-to-repay.” This rule states that borrowers must be able to prove they can afford the loans. The new rules will also end the outbreak of multi-million dollar lawsuits against lenders for wrongful foreclosure practices.

Consumer groups argue that the rules provide a legal shield for banks that is detrimental to borrowers. The CFPB has also installed a “qualified mortgage” standard, meaning that when a loan meets the lending criteria, it will become a “qualified mortgage.” This standard protects banks from lawsuits filed by borrowers or buyers of mortgage-backed bonds. According to consumer groups, this standard will make it possible for lenders to issue unaffordable loans that still meet the “ability-to-repay” criteria. Lower-income borrowers will be at risk of losing their home and destroying their credit, but unable to take legal action.

To read more on this story visit: http://money.cnn.com/2013/01/10/real_estate/mortgage-rules/index.html

Choosing the right attorney can make the difference between whether or not you can keep your home. A well-qualified attorney will not only help you keep your home, but they will be able to negotiate a loan that has payments you can afford. Foreclosure defense attorney, Timothy Kingcade has helped many facing foreclosure alleviate their stress by letting them stay in their homes for at least another year, allowing them to re-organize their lives. If you have any questions on the topic of foreclosure please feel free to contact me at (305) 285-9100. You can also find useful consumer information on the Kingcade & Garcia, P.A. website at www.miamibankruptcy.com.