Representing the Southwest Public Policy Institute, I recently had the opportunity to testify before the Alaska House Finance Committee and the Alaska Senate Community and Regional Affairs Committee regarding proposed legislation on consumer credit. The bills in question, House Bill 145 and its Senate counterpart, Senate Bill 264, aim to implement rate caps similar to […]
The Southwest Public Policy Institute (SPPI) has been invited to provide expert testimony in the upcoming legislative sessions for Alaska House Bill 145 and Alaska Senate Bill 264, which will take place on April 30, 2024.
Wells Fargo’s Flex Loan program is a labyrinth of unclear eligibility requirements and a baffling case of vanishing funds.
The 2022 passage of House Bill 132, which set a stringent cap of 36% on interest rates for consumer loans, is having its intended and significant repercussions on New Mexico’s financial landscape. This was no accident: by restricting the interest rates that small-dollar lenders can charge, the rate cap effectively marginalized an entire segment of […]
In response to Fred Nathan’s (July 30) op-ed praising New Mexico’s efforts to end predatory lending, I must assert that the celebratory tone is premature and misguided. Two significant studies conducted by the Southwest Public Policy Institute — “No Loan For You!” published in March 2023 and “No Loan For You, Too!” published in June […]
The unintended consequences of price controls on consumer access to credit.
How the war on specialized emergency loans has hurt New Mexicans.
