Category Archives: Corruption & Finance

Corruption concentrates wealth in the hands of a few at the expense of the 99% below, and this trend has accelerated the past decades. Corrupt leaders and industries are less likely to ration food and oil as it declines, accelerating collapse. I predict that the higher the level of corruption (see corruption perceptions index at transparency.org) will make collapse faster and harsher than in less corrupt nations.  I hope future historians look at this as a factor in how nations fell during the energy crisis. Though I expect that smaller towns everywhere will do better than large cities, and where local governments are uncorrupted

The most greedy, fraudulent banks continue to loot

Posted on April 12, 2014 by

Too Big to Fail banks continue to behave like they did before 2008 and are making the most money because they’re perceived as safer. The Looting of America’s Coffers March 10, 2009 David Leonhardt. New York Times Sixteen years ago, … Continue reading →

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Debt relief scams

Posted on April 12, 2014 by

Aug 20 2013 CFPB Files Suit Against Morgan Drexen for Charging Illegal Fees and Deceiving Consumers Company Made Misleading Claims about its Debt-Relief Services to Consumers May 30 2013 CFPB Takes Action to Stop Florida Company From Engaging in Illegal … Continue reading →

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Mortgage Scams: Kickbacks, Modification, etc

Posted on April 12, 2014 by

Nov 7 2013 CFPB Takes Action Against Castle & Cooke For Steering Consumers Into Costlier Mortgages. Company to Pay $9 Million in Restitution and $4 Million in Civil Penalties Oct 24 2013 CFPB Files Suit Against Borders & Borders, PLC … Continue reading →

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Discriminatory Mortgages $35 million fines

Posted on April 12, 2014 by

Dec 23 2013 CFPB and DOJ Take Action Against National City Bank for Discriminatory Mortgage Pricing Harmed African-American and Hispanic Borrowers Will Receive $35 Million in Restitution WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) and the Department … Continue reading →

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Auto Loan Scams

Posted on April 12, 2014 by

Dec 20 2013 CFPB and DOJ Order Ally to Pay $80 Million to Consumers Harmed by Discriminatory Auto Loan Pricing   Ally to Pay Additional $18 Million in Civil Penalties for Harming More Than 235,000 Minority Borrowers Jun 27 2013 … Continue reading →

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CFPB Sues For-Profit College Chain ITT For Predatory Lending

Posted on April 12, 2014 by

Feb 26 2014 CFPB Sues For-Profit College Chain ITT For Predatory Lending ITT Pushed Consumers into High-Cost Student Loans Likely to Fail WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) filed a lawsuit against ITT Educational Services, Inc., … Continue reading →

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Consumers Report Being Hounded About Debts Not Owed

Posted on April 12, 2014 by

Mar 20 2014 Consumers Report Being Hounded About Debts Not Owed Top Debt Collection Complaints Also Include Aggressive Communication Tactics and Threatening Illegal Actions WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) today issued a report on the more … Continue reading →

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$2 Billion to Homeowners for servicing wrongs

Posted on April 12, 2014 by

Dec 19 2013 CFPB, State Authorities Order Ocwen to Provide $2 Billion in Relief to Homeowners for Servicing Wrongs Largest Nonbank Servicer Will Also Refund $125 Million to Foreclosure Victims and Adhere to Significant New Homeowner Protections WASHINGTON, D.C. — … Continue reading →

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Payday Loans

Posted on April 12, 2014 by

Mar 25 2014 CFPB Finds Four Out Of Five Payday Loans Are Rolled Over Or Renewed Research Shows the Majority of Payday Loans Are Made to Borrowers Caught in a Revolving Door of Debt WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, the Consumer … Continue reading →

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Credit Card Fraud

Posted on April 12, 2014 by

Banks fined $1.66 Billion for illegal credit card practices that ripped off over 10 million customers Bank of America will refund up to 2.9 million customers $727 million plus pay $45 million in fines for illegal credit card practices such … Continue reading →

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