usury

Google's ex-CIO has moved from the world of Web searches to the world of high-interest, short-term lending. He says ZestCash.com offers an innovative way to help the poorest borrowers avoid financial emergencies. But is this just a slick veneer putting a shine on the classic payday lending business?

No credit check, low weekly payments and carry it home today? If you think rent-to-own stores' deals are too good to be true, you're right. They're a ripoff that leave unwary consumers paying the equivalent of up to 311% interest, according to a new investigation by Consumer Reports.

Rent-A-Center, the national furniture, electronics and appliance rental chain, has settled charges that the company charged outrageous fees in addition to harassing and threatening customers to collect owed money. Washington state's attorney general filed a complaint in July showing the absurdly...

Three years ago more than 250 payday lenders were doing business in Arkansas. As of this week, all are out of business.Arkansas represented a unique opportunity for opponents of payday lending. The state constitution includes a cap on interest rates that state officials and advocates used to drive...

Credit card delinquencies in the Fitch's Prime Credit Delinquency Index set a new record for the index in March, up to a rate of 4.04 more than 60 days late through January, an increase from the previous month's record of 3.75%. Since record keeping started in 1991 the index is 30% above historical...