The CFPB and the South Carolina Department of Consumer Affairs (SCDCA) recently settled a lawsuit they filed jointly in a South Carolina federal district court in October 2019 against Performance Arbitrage Company, Inc. and Life Funding Options, Inc., and their individual owner that alleged the defendants violated the Consumer Financial Protection Act and the South Carolina Consumer Protection Code by brokering high-interest loans to consumers that were marketed as purchases of the consumers’ future pension or disability payments. … Continue Reading

The CFPB filed a complaint in a South Carolina federal district court against Upstate Law Group LLC. and two of its individual owners and managers that alleges the defendants violated the Consumer Financial Protection Act’s UDAAP prohibition in connection with the brokering of pension advance products structured as purchases by engaging in unfair and deceptive acts or practices and by providing substantial assistance to others who had engaged in deceptive and unfair acts or practices in violation of the UDAAP prohibition.  … Continue Reading

The CFPB announced on August 14, 2019 that, subject to the approval of the Federal District Court for the Eastern District of Arkansas, the Bureau and the Arkansas Attorney General have entered into a proposed settlement with Andrew Gamber, Voyager Financial Group, LLC, BAIC, Inc., and SoBell Corp. to resolve the Bureau’s allegations that the defendants violated the Consumer Financial Protection Act and the Arkansas Deceptive Trade Practices Act while brokering contracts that offered high-interest credit to veterans and other consumers, through which these consumers received lump-sum payments in exchange for assigning their monthly pension or disability payments to investors.… Continue Reading

The Minnesota Attorney General announced that she has filed a lawsuit in state court against two pension advance companies.

According to the AG’s press release, the companies often solicited borrowers through their own websites or websites of “lead generators” who marketed “pension loans” or “loans that can fit your needs.” … Continue Reading

A new lawsuit, filed by the CFPB and the New York Department of Financial Services  (NY DFS) in a California federal court against two pension advance companies and three of the companies’ individual managers, again demonstrates the aggressive approach taken by both agencies.  The lawsuit follows a consumer advisory issued by the CFPB in March 2015 regarding “pension advance traps to avoid.”… Continue Reading