about

Faced with a tightening credit market and new financial regulations, more than 200,000 consumers of short-term financial services from across the nation have joined together to speak up for themselves in order to protect, improve and expand their access to realistic and reliable credit options.

The Consumer Rights Coalition (CRC) is a 501(c)(6) consumer-based organization.

About Our Membership:

  • More than 200,000 consumers have joined the Consumer Rights Coalition
  • CRC members come from every state in the nation
  • CRC members have written more than 5,000 messages to Congress
  • More than 3,000 CRC members have signed a petition to protect their access to credit

Our Members’ Use of Short-term Credit:

  • Our members have most frequently taken out a payday loan (70.4%) to pay a utility bill (phone, gas, electric, cable).
  • About half of our members cited a car repair (52.2%) as a reason for a taking out a payday loan.
  • 36.4% have used a payday loan for a medically related expense.
  • In addition to short-term loans, 72.4% of survey respondents said they relied on a loan from a family member or a friend to manage their finances.
  • 60.7% of respondents say they have used a payday loan because of its convenience over other options.
  • 51.9% have used a payday loan because of is anonymity.
  • 34.4% said a payday loan was less expensive than other options.

Tip of the Week

If you are receiving harassing bill collection phone calls, you have rights. Learn More.

File a complaint with FTC if your rights are being violated.

The consumer voice

by Gerri Guzman

Databases and Your Privacy

Last week I had the privilege of representing your interests at a state senate hearing in Missouri, where legislation has been introduced that calls for a state-wide database of payday loan customers. This means that when you take out a short-term loan in Missouri, your name is entered into a state-wide database to ensure you cannot take out more than one loan at a time.