Research

HUD: New Residential Construction Activity in December Announced

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and the U.S. Census Bureau jointly announced the following new residential construction statistics for December 2016: BUILDING PERMITS Privately owned housing units authorized by building permits in December were at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1,210,000. This is 0.2 percent (±1.8%)* below the…

CFPB: Survey Finds Over One-in-Four Consumers Contacted by Debt Collectors Feel Threatened

CFPB Also Releases Study of Consumer Risks in Online Debt Sales, Consumer Stories of Debt Collection Experiences WASHINGTON, D.C. – A Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) report released today found that over one-in-four consumers contacted by debt collectors felt threatened. The report was drawn from the first-ever national survey of consumer experiences with debt collectors. Over…

HUD: American Housing Survey Results for 25 Metro Areas Released

WASHINGTON – Today, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and the U.S. Census Bureau released the results of the 2015 American Housing Survey focusing on 25 metropolitan areas across the country. The data released today includes detailed information on everything from monthly housing costs, hunger, and neighborhood characteristics including crime and the…

OCC: Report Discusses Risks Facing National Banks and Federal Savings Associations

WASHINGTON — The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) reported strategic, credit, operational, and compliance risks remain top concerns in its Semiannual Risk Perspective for Fall 2016, released today. Highlights from the report include: Strategic risk remains high as banks consider business model changes and face challenges in growing revenue. Strategic planning remains important…

CFPB: Student Loan Servicing Problems Can Jeopardize Long-Term Financial Security for Older Borrowers

Growing Concerns as Number of Older Student Loan Borrowers Quadruples, Amount of Debt Per Senior Borrower Doubles in Last Decade WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) released a report that examines complaints from older student loan borrowers about servicing practices that can jeopardize their long-term financial security. In the last decade, the…

Federal Reserve: Payments Study Highlights Strong Trends in Card Use

Kansas City, Missouri, December 22, 2016 — From 2012 to 2015, credit and debit (including prepaid and non-prepaid) card payments continued to gain ground in the payments landscape, accounting for more than two-thirds of all core noncash payments in the United States, according to a Federal Reserve study of U.S. non-cash payments released today. Automated…

CFPB: Consumer Credit Trends Tool Unveiled to Help Forecast Potential Consumer Risks

Web-based Tool Will Deliver Regular Updates on Consumer Lending Markets WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) today unveiled Consumer Credit Trends, a web-based tool to help the public monitor developments in consumer lending and forecast potential future risks. The beta version of the tool covers the mortgage, credit card, auto loan, and student…

CFPB: Who Are the Credit Invisible?

In 2015, we published a report  finding that 26 million Americans are “credit invisible.” This figure indicates that one in every ten adults does not have any credit history with one of the three nationwide credit reporting companies. The report also found that Black consumers, Hispanic consumers, and consumers in low-income neighborhoods are more likely to have…

Federal Reserve: Changes Announced to Beige Book Beginning in 2017

The Federal Reserve on Wednesday announced changes that will begin in 2017 to its Beige Book publication. The modifications will standardize specific core topics included in each of the 12 Federal Reserve Bank District reports, provide a more consistent presentation of the national summary, and enhance the design of the publication. The national summary, along with each…

ABA: Testifies at CFPB Field Hearing on Data Access

Concerns About Consumer Protection, Consumer Control WASHINGTON — The American Bankers Association expressed concerns about consumer protections at a Consumer Financial Protection Bureau field hearing on third party access to consumer financial data today in Salt Lake City. Robert Morgan, vice president, emerging technologies at ABA testified on behalf of the association. In his testimony, Morgan explained…