In 2011, Shelby B. from Rockdale, Georgia pawned her car title in exchange for $1,700. Four years and $5,400 later, she finally made the last payment to get her title back. Shelby, like many Georgians, took out a small-dollar loan and suffered financial...
More infoNew Rules On Financial Protections May Hurt Ga. Military Members
By Tasnim Shamma – WABE The nonprofit research group Center for Responsible Lending said changes proposed by the federal Consumer Financial Protection Bureau could hurt Georgia’s military service members. The federal agency’s interim director Mick...
More infoGeorgia Regulator Joins Consent Agreement Holding Equifax Accountable For Massive Security Breach
Atlanta-based credit reporting company Equifax has agreed to a Consent Order joined on by eight state regulators that requires the company to report on security improvements made as a response to the massive 2017 data breach. In the Order, the Georgia...
More infoNew bank law spurs both support and criticism in Georgia
By Michael E. Kanell – The Atlanta Journal-Constitution Some Georgia bankers joined U.S. Sen. David Perdue in praising this week’s rollback of the Dodd-Frank law’s restrictions on banks, although consumer groups criticized the measure. The new...
More infoProposed HUD rent reforms have locals worrying, wondering
By Shelia M. Poole and Michael E. Kanell – The Atlanta Journal-Constitution As the door to his home opens, Tony Caldwell, 58, shifts his wheelchair slightly to accommodate his guests. The former delivery driver for a concession machine company lives...
More infoAtlanta-based SunTrust says data on 1.5 million customers tapped
By Michael E. Kanell – The Atlanta Journal-Constitution Atlanta-based SunTrust on Friday said it feared that a now-former employee had wrongly accessed basic information about 1.5 million customers. The company became aware in late February that the...
More infoGeorgia Financial Protection and Economic Opportunity Summit a Success
On March 8, Georgia Watch, Georgia Budget and Policy Institute, Prosperity Now, and Center for Responsible Lending hosted the first-ever Georgia Financial Protection and Economic Opportunity Summit. Nearly 50 partners from across the state and nation met...
More infoDodd-Frank de-toothing looks like an Equifax win
By Michael E. Kanell and Tamar Hallerman – Atlanta Journal-Constitution Less than seven months after revealing a massive data breach, Equifax appears to be poised for a big win in Washington. A financial regulatory bill on the verge of Senate passage...
More infoNo new personal protections following major data breach
By Tamar Hallerman – Atlanta Journal Constitution WASHINGTON — In the weeks after Equifax disclosed its expansive database of Americans’ most personal information had been hacked, officials on Capitol Hill seethed with rage. Congressional hearings...
More infoWestern Union to Pay $586 Million in Scam Settlement
Georgia Watch has written before about the various methods scammers use to separate you from your money. One popular method gaining attention involves Western Union, one of the most popular money transfer companies in the world. Western Union has now...
More infoGeorgia Work Credit Would Help Georgia Families Save For Unexpected Emergencies
By Beth Stephens, Senior Director of Public Policy and Advocacy at Georgia Watch Despite low unemployment and a healthy stock market, limited wage growth coupled with high living expenses has made economic recovery sluggish for many Georgia families...
More infoSenate bill pushes to hold credit bureaus accountable for data breaches
Local advocates call the bill common sense protections. (Watch Now) Copyright © 2018 WSB-TV
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