American Financial Services Association - Consumer “Advocate”: Blood, Sweat and Tears Are All You Need
Member login
American Financial Services Association

Consumer “Advocate”: Blood, Sweat and Tears Are All You Need

Blog Posts

Occasionally someone slips and says something they are thinking but know they should never actually say publicly. This is what happened to poor Sara Nelson-Pallmeyer of Exodus Lending, a Minnesota-based nonprofit that claims to “advocate for fair lending laws.”

In a recent story Nelson-Pallmeyer indirectly acknowledged that rate caps bar many consumers she claims to want to help – those who need access to small dollar credit but who do not have access to savings or credit cards, or who have less than prime credit – from accessing consumer credit products. The article noted that Nelson-Pallmeyer was “not worried about how consumers will fare,” and that:

“‘They’re going to do what people do in states where [non-rate-capped loans] aren’t allowed,” [Nelson-Pallmeyer] says. “Borrow from people you care about, ask for more hours, take on a second job, sell your plasma — just the things that people do who don’t go to payday lenders, and that’s most people.”

“Most people” have choices for their consumer credit needs, and many of them if they can’t count on savings or credit cards, turn to Traditional Installment Loans (TILs), which are safe, smart options. But such facts are unimportant to some consumer “advocates” who prefer those they “help” using blood, sweat and tears to cover their emergency financial needs.

Traditional Installment Loans (TILs) have consistent monthly payments, and no balloon payments or hidden fees. Traditional installment lenders work with customers to understand their financial needs and circumstances, and work to ensure customers understand the terms. TILs are reported to credit bureaus, so the customer can build or improve their credit standing.

It’s also important to note that Nelson-Pallmeyer isn’t talking about just a few customers. In fact, when Illinois recently passed a 36% rate cap, tens of thousands of Illinois consumers no longer qualified for traditional installment loans, leaving them to fend via the “Nelson-Pallmeyer Plan”: second jobs or blood banks.

In times of financial need, “Sorry, you have no choice but to sell your blood,” is not what folks need to hear, especially when it’s the people who claim to be “advocating” for them who are doing the lecturing.

Consumer “Advocate”: Blood, Sweat and Tears Are All You Need
Jul 16, 2021

Occasionally someone slips and says something they are thinking but know they should never actually say publicly. This is what happened to poor Sara Nelson-Pallmeyer of Exodus Lending, a Minnesota-based nonprofit that claims to “advocate… Read the rest

Survey: Rate Caps Are Harming Servicemembers
Jul 15, 2021

In this month of July, we should remember the role United States servicemembers play in defending and preserving the blessings of freedom for all Americans. The American Financial Services Association (AFSA) is pleased to support Military… Read the rest

AFSA Systems Maintenance Complete
Jul 15, 2021

AFSA’s login systems maintenance is now complete. Members should be able to access password-protected resources, including AFSA*Track, with no issue. If you do encounter an issue, please contact Dan Bucherer at dbucherer@afsamail.orgRead the rest

Senate Schedules Hearing on Anti-Consumer Rate Cap Bill
Jul 13, 2021

Senate Banking Committee Chair Sherrod Brown (D-OH) today announced that the committee would hold a hearing entitled, Protecting Americans from Debt Traps by Extending the Military’s 36% Interest Rate Cap to Everyone on July 29 at… Read the rest

Biden Issues Executive Order Promoting Market Competition
Jul 13, 2021

President Biden issued an Executive Order (the “Order”) on issues related to market competition in the U.S. economy. Among other provisions, the Order calls on the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) to complete its rulemaking … Read the rest

NEXT WEEK | AFSA Login Systems Maintenance
Jul 07, 2021

To deliver a better user experience for all AFSA’s digital properties, we will begin upgrading Protech, its association management database, from July 12 through the 14th. The Protech system also controls Afsaonline.org login authentication… Read the rest

Credit Bureau Reform on the Horizon?
Jul 02, 2021

The House Financial Services Committee held a hearing earlier this week entitled, “A Biased, Broken System: Examining Proposals to Overhaul Credit Reporting to Achieve Equity,” which examined the following three legislative proposals:… Read the rest

AFSA Comments on AI / ML
Jul 01, 2021

The American Financial Services Association (AFSA) today submitted a comment letter in response to a Request for Information (RFI) from several federal agencies on financial institutions’ (FIs’) use of artificial intelligence (AI),
Read the rest

July Featured Premier Business Partner: Cox Automotive
Jul 01, 2021

The featured Premier Business Partner for July is Cox Automotive Lending Solutions.

Dealertrack provides innovative technology that is critical to the success of any automotive dealership or lending institution. Our unmatched product… Read the rest

Pardon Our Dust: Note Upcoming AFSA Online Maintenance
Jun 29, 2021

To deliver a better user experience for all AFSA digital properties, we are upgrading Protech, the association management database, from July 12 through the 14th. The Protech system also controls Afsaonline.org login authentication. … Read the rest

1 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 100 101 175