Book Read Free

Broke, USA

Page 40

by Gary Rivlin


  Kursman, Jeff, 197, 278–79, 287, 316

  LaFalce, John, 143, 144

  Lambert, Bob, 189

  Langley, Monica, 145, 146

  Las Vegas, NV, 21–22

  check cashers’ convention in, 21–23, 32–35, 169, 262–73, 316–17

  Latinos, 86

  Lauer, Jeanie, 177

  Leach, Jim, 137

  legal aid societies, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 42–43, 45, 48, 94

  Lehman, Thomas, 232

  Lehman Brothers, 34, 199, 297

  Lewis, Ken, 214

  liar (no documentation) loans, 298, 299, 318

  Liberty Tax Service, 169, 172, 178, 180, 289

  Lima News, 279

  Limbaugh, Rush, 324

  Linden Heights, 291

  Little Rock, AR, 119

  lobbying:

  by payday lending industry, 80–81, 160, 219–20

  by subprime lenders, 207–8, 222

  Loftin, Mike, 326–28

  Logan, Jimmy, 68–69, 80–81

  Long, Jack, 40, 45, 55

  Los Angeles, CA, 48

  Los Angeles Times, 297, 322

  “Losing Ground” (CRL report), 230

  Lougee, Robert, Jr., 48

  Lovelace, Dean, 128–31, 132, 140–42, 252

  Loveman, Gary, 316–17

  Ludwig, Sarah, 158

  Lupton, Susan, 226

  MacArthur Foundation, 97

  McCall, Ken, 292

  McCall, Robert, 49

  McCarthy, Dan, 241, 251

  McCarthy, Jim, 15–16, 38, 131–36, 137, 139, 141, 163–64, 240, 252, 288–89, 290–93, 297, 299, 300, 301, 304, 309

  McCauley, Ginny, 228

  McCoy, Patricia, 213

  McDonald’s, 181, 314–15

  Mack, Connie, 203

  MacKechnie, Fraser, 266–68, 313

  McKenzie, Steve “Toby,” 73–76, 77, 78, 79, 84, 119, 120–21, 128, 291, 313

  Mackey, Frank J., 3, 4, 5

  McLarty, Thomas, 203

  McLin, C. J., Jr., 130–31

  mandatory arbitration, 155, 165

  Mansfield, OH, 187–98

  Marathon Oil, 117

  Marks, Bruce, 45–47, 53–55

  Massachusetts, 298

  MasterCard, 294

  Mathers, Jerry, 67

  media-induced settlements, 112

  medical debt, 222

  Medsker, Lyndsey, 219

  Mel Jackson Tax Service, 178

  Mendelson Liquidators, 292

  Merchants of Misery (Hudson), 105

  Merrill Lynch, 25, 34, 297

  Meyers, Larry, 232

  Miamisburg, OH, 289

  Miami Valley Fair Housing Center, 14–16

  microtargeting, 270

  middle class, 293–94, 295, 308

  Middle Tennessee State University, 66

  military, U.S., 228–29

  Miller, Hugh, 154

  Miller, Tom, 215

  Mississippi, 122

  Missouri, 314

  mobile home financing, 150

  Modzelewski, Jeff, 255–56

  MoneyGram, 23, 28

  money orders, 321

  Money Store, 153, 154, 158, 297

  Moneytree, 73, 224

  Montana, 314

  Montgomery Ward, 179

  Moody’s Investors Service, 212, 301–2

  Moore, Thad, 93, 109

  Moraine, OH, 291

  Morgan, Donald, 232

  Morgan Stanley, 212, 225

  Mormino, Charles, 255

  mortgage-backed securities, 86, 102–3, 199, 206, 212–13, 217, 237, 297, 325–26

  Mortgage Bankers Association, 230, 323

  Mortgage Banking, 153, 154

  mortgage brokers, 209, 247, 295, 299–300, 308, 318, 328–29

  Mortgage Loan Act (Ohio), 315–16

  mortgages, 7

  adjustable rate (ARMs), 51, 236, 237, 298, 299, 300, 302, 318, 323

  balloon, 51, 56, 139, 206

  Federal Reserve rules on, 318

  interest rates on, 9–11, 12, 13, 51

  modification of, 328

  payoff quotes for, 106

  prepayment penalties on, 15, 56, 115, 141–42, 155, 165, 206, 318

  subprime, see subprime lending industry

  Mozilo, Angelo, 214, 299

  Mr. T’s Rental, 26

  Murray, Terrence, 42, 55

  Myers, Marcia, 1, 2–3, 8, 9, 13, 15, 16–17, 18, 19–20, 157

  Myers, William “Tommy,” 1–3, 6, 7–15, 16–17, 18, 19–20, 33, 52, 139, 157, 293, 295

  NAACP, 113

  Nail ’Em! (Dezenhall), 219

  Nasdaq, 25

  National Association of Consumer Advocates, 40–41

  National Association of Mortgage Brokers, 138

  National Cash Advance, 119–20

  National Cash Register, 291–92

  National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, 197

  National Check Cashers Association, 21–23, 78

  see also Financial Service Centers of America

  National City bank, 117

  National Community Reinvestment Coalition, 319

  National Consumer Law Center, 16, 50–51, 52, 183

  National Credit Union Administration, 97

  National Home Equity Mortgage Association, 207

  NationsBank, 56–57, 81, 111, 120, 153, 155

  NationsCredit, 111, 155

  negative amortization, 236

  Nehemiah Corporation of America, 246–47

  Neighborhood Economic Development Advocacy Project, 158

  Neighborhood Housing Services of New York City, 308–9

  Nelson, Bill, 229

  Nevada, 122

  New Century Financial, 18, 58, 233, 296, 298, 299, 322

  New Hampshire, 254, 312

  Newhouse News Service, 48

  Newsweek, 326, 327

  New York, 183, 200, 213, 215

  New York, NY, 158

  New York Daily News, 308

  New York State Banking Department, 158

  New York Stock Exchange (NYSE), 25

  New York Times, 18, 29, 37, 122, 148, 151, 153, 154, 162, 163, 203, 212, 236, 237, 328

  New York Times Magazine, 144

  Nixon, Richard, 171, 172

  nonbank lenders, see consumer finance companies Norris, Floyd, 18

  Norris, Kim, 282–83, 285

  North Carolina, 110, 150, 166, 212, 318

  anti-predatory lending laws in, 112–15, 139, 149, 203, 208, 215, 223

  banking industry in, 113–14

  payday lending in, 159–62, 166, 220, 232, 316

  North Carolina Bankers Association, 114

  North Carolina Mutual, 114

  Obama, Barack, 272

  financial reform and, 320–22, 323–24

  odometer tampering, 69

  Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC), 158, 214–17

  Ogbazion, Fesum, 168–85, 265, 307

  background of, 168–69, 173

  Ohio, 35, 84, 88, 123, 129, 139, 301, 302

  consumer protection in, 244–45

  foreclosures in, 245–46, 247, 291, 295

  Issue 5 referendum in, 261, 273, 274–87, 289, 312

  payday lending in, 189, 231, 251–61, 315–16

  payday lending legislation in, 253–54, 260–61

  predatory lending regulation in, 239–41, 248

  preemption bill in, 239–41

  subprime lending in, 245–48

  Ohioans for Financial Freedom, 283

  Ohio Association of Bankers, 249

  Ohio Association of Financial Service Centers, 259, 279

  Ohio Coalition for Responsible Lending, 252–53, 254

  Ohio Consumer Finance Association, 240

  Ohio Mortgage Funding, 141

  Oklahoma, 127, 231

  Option One Mortgage, 135, 212, 296, 298, 300, 301, 305, 322

  Oregon, 254, 312

  Orient, 243
<
br />   Osmond, Ken, 67

  overdraft protection plans, 319

  packing, of loans, 52, 136, 152, 156

  Padgett, Joy, 247–48, 249

  Paulson, Henry, 87

  Paulson, John, 237–38

  Paulson & Co., 237–38

  pawnbrokers, 7, 23, 24–27, 31, 32, 53, 126, 178, 189, 222, 226, 227, 256, 262–63, 266, 281, 320, 331–32

  interest rates of, 25, 26, 273

  payday lending industry, 7–8, 20, 21, 22–23, 27, 31, 32, 34, 61–64, 68, 72–73, 76–79, 116–27, 128–42, 186–98, 204, 218–29, 263, 268, 306, 307–8, 319

  activists’ opposition to, 88, 123–24, 231, 313–14

  adverse media attention on, 122–23, 227–28

  aggressive collections by, 258–59

  alleged racism in, 290

  APRs in, 123–24, 125

  best practices pledge of, 255, 258

  competition in, 224–26, 313, 314

  cost of loans in, 194–95

  crisis management firm hired by, 218–20, 223–24

  CRL in fight against, 222–23, 224, 226–32

  defaults in, 312

  diversification in, 314–15, 321

  Eakes in fight against, 88, 123, 159–62, 187, 218–19, 220–21, 223, 227

  employee bonus policy in, 255

  growth of, 224, 310–11

  interest charged by, 61, 62, 76, 220, 253–54, 259, 260, 272–73, 312

  Issue 5 referendum and, 261, 273, 274–87, 289, 312

  in Kansas, 264–65

  kickbacks in, 316

  lobbying by, 80–81, 160, 219–20, 259–60, 314, 320

  marketing by, 270, 316–17

  military opposition to, 228–29

  in Ohio, 189, 231, 251–61, 315–16

  online, 272, 322

  profits in, 122, 311–12, 314

  public relations efforts in, 268–69

  regulation of, 35, 320

  repeat customers in, 192–93, 226–28, 230–32, 257, 270, 313, 316

  Self-Help in fight against, 159, 187, 223, 226–29

  size of average loan in, 231

  studies supporting, 232

  television ads by, 275, 277

  trade association of, 126

  underlying logic of, 328

  Wall Street Journal profile of, 121

  see also specific companies

  payment protection plans, 150

  see also credit insurance policies

  payment shock risk, 301–2

  payoff quotes, 106

  pay-stub loans, 182

  Peachtree Financial, 330

  Pearce, Mark, 109–10, 115, 166, 221

  Pelley, Scott, 227–28, 230–31

  Pepsi, 2, 3

  Perdue, Sonny, 211, 212, 213, 214

  Philadelphia, anti-predatory lending law in, 140

  Pick-A-Pay, 236

  Pierce, Elizabeth, 226

  Pizzolorusso, Glen, 303–4

  points, on loans, 41, 44, 49, 52, 115

  Policy Matters Ohio, 231, 254, 290

  Politico, 230

  poor people’s economy, 77

  Poppe, Barb, 251

  postdated check loans, 53

  poverty, geography of, 177–78

  poverty pimps, 24

  predatory lending, 6–7, 15–16, 29–30, 36–59, 104–5, 110, 154, 318

  advocacy groups opposed to, 17, 87–88, 139, 241, 244–45

  class-action suits against, 16, 17–18

  coinage of term, 45–46, 53

  credit card debt and, 6, 8

  in Dayton, OH, 132–42, 239–41

  Eakes’s campaign against, 110–15, 137, 139, 143–44, 151–53, 156, 157, 158–59, 163, 165–67, 222, 248

  elderly as targets of, 41–42, 133

  interest rates in, 33

  legislation against, 35, 112–15, 138–40, 200, 201–2, 203

  see also subprime lending industry; specific types of lenders Predatory Lending Solutions Project, 15, 134–35, 141, 301

  Predatory Lending Study Committee, 240

  prepaid phone cards, 271

  Primerica, 148

  Primetime Live, 104, 112

  Prince, Chuck, 151–53

  Prince ton University, 92

  private wealth management, 4, 5

  Procter & Gamble, 169

  property taxes, 3

  prospecting, 270

  Provident Bank, 77

  Providian Financial, 175–76

  Public Interest Research Group, 94

  QC Holdings, 73, 76, 226, 293

  Queens, NY, 308–9

  Quik Cash, 194

  quitclaims, 39

  race relations, 45, 90–91

  racketeering laws, 43, 45

  Rainbow Coalition, 131

  Raleigh News & Observer, 159, 234

  “RAL Reform Agenda,” 183

  Rand, Ayn, 319

  Reagan, Ronald, 51

  recession, 312

  Reckard, E. Scott, 297

  Reese, Evelyn, 287

  refinancing, 8–13, 17, 58, 132, 134, 162, 206, 247–48, 297, 300, 306

  see also flipping

  refund anticipation loans (RALs), 7, 24, 27–28, 64, 168–85, 204, 222, 265–66, 271, 295, 303, 321

  interest rates on, 184–85

  Refund Today, 265

  Rent-A-Center, 26, 75, 178, 186, 259, 289, 291, 293

  rent-to-own stores, 7, 20, 26, 27, 31, 33, 53, 64, 74–76, 126, 204, 222, 330–31

  Responsible Mortgage Lending Coalition, 207

  reverse redlining, 40

  Rheingold, Ira, 40–41

  Rice, Suriffa, 130

  Riegle, Donald, Jr., 54

  Riepenhoff, Jill, 245, 246, 247

  Riley, Dick, 118

  risk, 4

  risk-based pricing, 52, 156, 328

  Rizzuto, Phil, 153

  “Roadmap to Continued Record Profits in 1995, The,” 149–50

  Roberts, Bennie, 104–5

  Robinson, Jerry, 30–31, 74–76, 119, 122, 126, 313, 331

  Robinson, Rachel, 248

  Roedersheimer, Chuck, 299–300, 304–6

  Rogers, Freddie, 105–8, 111, 113, 114, 139, 143, 222, 248

  Rogers, John, 90–91

  Rolland Safe Company, 270

  Rosenthal, Cliff, 326

  Rothbloom, Howard, 30, 37, 43–46, 47, 55, 248

  Rothstein, David, 290

  Rubin, Robert, 144

  Sacramento Business Journal, 122

  Safer, Morley, 50

  salary buyers, 53

  Salomon Brothers, 148

  Sandler, Herbert and Marion, 165–67, 235–37, 238, 318

  Santa Clara, 292–93, 308

  Santelli, Rick, 29

  Sarbanes, Paul, 143

  Saturday Night Live, 237

  Saunders, Ted, 273, 276, 279–83, 284–85

  savings and loans, 296

  Scalia, Antonin, 217

  Schear, Lee, 128–29

  Schlein, Steven, 218–21, 224, 225, 230, 234, 237, 254, 269, 277, 279, 321, 331

  Schloemer, Ellen, 229–30

  Schmaltz, Anita, 289, 290

  Scoggins, Steve, 73, 81, 82–83

  Scotland, 310

  secret shoppers, 17

  Securities and Exchange Commission, 226, 299

  Self-Help Center, see Center for Community Self-Help

  Self-Help Credit Union, 95–96, 97, 100

  Sellery, Bill, 272–73

  Senate, U.S., 321

  Armed Services Committee of, 229

  Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee of, 54, 138, 143, 165, 229, 322

  Special Committee on Aging of, 57, 136

  see also Congress, U.S.

  Senior Citizens Law Project, 45

  Shackelford, Pam, 130

  shade-tree mechanics, 69

  Siegel, Jim, 257, 259

  Siegel, Marc, 49

  Simmons, Lynn, 36–37

  Simon Wiesenthal Center,
296

  Simpson, Erich, 224

  single-premium credit insurance, see credit insurance policies

  60 Minutes, 50, 56, 236–37

  60 Minutes Wednesday, 220, 256

  Skillern, Peter, 110–11, 159

  Small Business Administration, 96

  Small Loan Act (Ohio), 315–16

  Smith, Adam, 253

  Smith, Henry, 147

  Smith, Troy, 48

  Smith Barney, 148

  Snow, Tony, 91, 233

  Social Security, 47

  South Carolina, 122

  South Ozone Park, Queens, 308–9

  SP Financial Services, 202

  Spitzer, Eliot, 215, 217

  spread, 146, 153–54

  “Springing the Debt Trap” (CRL report), 231

  Standard & Poor’s, 212, 302

  Starr, Lillie Mae, 43–44, 47, 55

  State Employees’ Credit Union of North Carolina, 228, 314–15

  State Street Consultants, 283

  Stein, Eric, 86

  Stephens, Bill, 211

  Stephens, Inc., 119, 122, 126, 280, 313

  Stillwater Capital Partners, 245

  Stock, Richard, 135–36

  Strategic Public Partners Group, 283

  “straw buyers,” 245

  stretch pay loans, 130

  Strickland, Ted, 252, 253, 260, 261, 278

  strip malls, 83

  subprime lending industry, 3–19, 28–30, 34, 39–40, 42–50, 86, 132–42, 245, 324

  activist groups opposed to, 14–16, 17

  African Americans as targets for, 30, 40, 43, 46, 50, 56, 111, 132, 133, 214, 308–9

  banks in, 28, 40–41, 56–57, 58, 153, 202, 247, 303

  congressional hearings on, 55–56, 58, 136, 222

  definition of, 11

 

‹ Prev