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	<title>Arizona Consumers Council &#187; Finance &amp; Credit</title>
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	<link>http://azconsumer.org</link>
	<description>A Voice for Consumers Since 1966</description>
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			<item>
		<title>Don&#8217;t Let Car Title Lenders Drive You Down the Road to Ruin</title>
		<link>http://azconsumer.org/dont-let-car-title-loans-drive-you-down-the-road-to-ruin/</link>
		<comments>http://azconsumer.org/dont-let-car-title-loans-drive-you-down-the-road-to-ruin/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 24 Jun 2010 21:28:21 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Leslie Kyman Cooper</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Featured]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Finance & Credit]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Payday Loans]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Credit]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Debt]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Finance]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Predatory Lending]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://azconsumer.org/?p=920</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[While payday loans should be on the road out of Arizona, unfortunately, recent activity at the Arizona Department of Financial Institutions suggests that other high cost loans are still parked here:    in the past several months, many payday lenders have been licensed to offer car title loans.    These loans, which require a borrower to turn over the title to [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://azconsumer.org/dont-let-car-title-loans-drive-you-down-the-road-to-ruin/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>1</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>FAQs About the Sunset of Payday Lending in Arizona</title>
		<link>http://azconsumer.org/faqs-about-the-sunset-of-payday-lending-in-arizona/</link>
		<comments>http://azconsumer.org/faqs-about-the-sunset-of-payday-lending-in-arizona/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 23 Jun 2010 17:01:58 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Leslie Kyman Cooper</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Finance & Credit]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Newsletter]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Payday Loans]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Credit]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Debt]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Finance]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Predatory Lending]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://azconsumer.org/?p=816</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[When do payday loans become illegal in Arizona?
Payday lenders have operated in Arizona under a law that ends on June 30, 2010. Under that law, payday lenders could make loans of $50 to $500 to borrowers on the basis of a paycheck, and charge 15% of the face amount of the check for each transaction; each [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://azconsumer.org/faqs-about-the-sunset-of-payday-lending-in-arizona/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>3</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Find a Good Credit Counselor</title>
		<link>http://azconsumer.org/find-a-good-credit-counselor/</link>
		<comments>http://azconsumer.org/find-a-good-credit-counselor/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 23 Jun 2010 16:53:12 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Leslie Kyman Cooper</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Finance & Credit]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Other]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Payday Loans]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Credit]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Debt]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Finance]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://azconsumer.org/?p=825</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Good credit counseling can be a big help. Unfortunately, there are many companies who call themselves credit counselors, but do little more than charge you a significant upfront fee to give you information you could get yourself or, worse yet, to do nothing. A good credit counseling agency can help with financial and budget counseling [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://azconsumer.org/find-a-good-credit-counselor/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>1</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Help for Those Trying to Pay off a Payday Loan</title>
		<link>http://azconsumer.org/help-for-those-trying-to-pay-off-a-payday-loan/</link>
		<comments>http://azconsumer.org/help-for-those-trying-to-pay-off-a-payday-loan/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 22 Jun 2010 18:13:38 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Leslie Kyman Cooper</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Finance & Credit]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Payday Loans]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Debt]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Finance]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Predatory Lending]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://azconsumer.org/?p=797</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Here are resources and alternatives for consumers who are having trouble paying off a payday loan: 
Try to make payment arrangements with the lender, such as offering to repay the principal amount of the loan.    
Check to see if your payday lender is a member of the payday loan trade association, Community Financial Services of America, or [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://azconsumer.org/help-for-those-trying-to-pay-off-a-payday-loan/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>1</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>NCLC Report on the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly in Payday Loan Alternatives</title>
		<link>http://azconsumer.org/nclc-report-on-the-good-the-bad-and-the-ugly-in-payday-loan-alternatives/</link>
		<comments>http://azconsumer.org/nclc-report-on-the-good-the-bad-and-the-ugly-in-payday-loan-alternatives/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 09 Jun 2010 17:32:11 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Leslie Kyman Cooper</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Finance & Credit]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Payday Loans]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Credit]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Debt]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Finance]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Predatory Lending]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://azconsumer.org/?p=789</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[As the sun sets on Arizona payday lenders this month, the Arizona Consumers Council will be helping consumers evaluate alternatives to payday loans. Not surprisingly, many companies appear poised to rush in and lend to the customers of payday lenders. Some of those companies will be offering products that are better for consumers, and some [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://azconsumer.org/nclc-report-on-the-good-the-bad-and-the-ugly-in-payday-loan-alternatives/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Tips for those with a pressing short-term debt</title>
		<link>http://azconsumer.org/tips-for-those-with-a-pressing-short-term-debt/</link>
		<comments>http://azconsumer.org/tips-for-those-with-a-pressing-short-term-debt/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 09 Jun 2010 17:02:54 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Leslie Kyman Cooper</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Finance & Credit]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Payday Loans]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Credit]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Debt]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Predatory Lending]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://azconsumer.org/?p=772</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Contact the creditor. Ask to delay payment until your paycheck arrives or set up a repayment schedule that stretches out payments. Many creditors would rather give you more time to pay off a debt. Some may even consider accepting partial payment, if it means they don’t have to send the matter to collection. For non-interest [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://azconsumer.org/tips-for-those-with-a-pressing-short-term-debt/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Debt Settlement Companies:  Helping You Dig a Deeper Hole</title>
		<link>http://azconsumer.org/debt-settlement-companies-helping-you-dig-a-deeper-hole/</link>
		<comments>http://azconsumer.org/debt-settlement-companies-helping-you-dig-a-deeper-hole/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 10 Mar 2010 12:00:03 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Leslie Kyman Cooper</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Finance & Credit]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.azconsumer.org/?p=681</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[With the down economy, you may be tempted by ads from companies that promise to settle your debts for 50 cents or less on the dollar. But beware, this claim is too good to be true: most debt settlement companies will siphon off your hard-earned cash, and leave you worse off than before. Before you sign [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://azconsumer.org/debt-settlement-companies-helping-you-dig-a-deeper-hole/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>4</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>A Truly Free Credit Report</title>
		<link>http://azconsumer.org/a-truly-free-credit-report/</link>
		<comments>http://azconsumer.org/a-truly-free-credit-report/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 09 Mar 2010 12:30:36 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Leslie Kyman Cooper</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Finance & Credit]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.azconsumer.org/?p=660</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Everyone who has watched TV has seen them: those annoying commercials that promise a free credit report. There are the hip young people singing about the problems they&#8217;ve suffered because they failed to get their free credit report from &#8220;freecreditreport.com.&#8221; Of course, they haven&#8217;t managed to work the information you really need into the jingle:
 


Federal [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://azconsumer.org/a-truly-free-credit-report/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>New Credit Card Rules:  Better, But Still Complex</title>
		<link>http://azconsumer.org/new-credit-card-rules-better-but-still-complex/</link>
		<comments>http://azconsumer.org/new-credit-card-rules-better-but-still-complex/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 06 Mar 2010 17:35:53 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Leslie Kyman Cooper</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Finance & Credit]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.azconsumer.org/?p=637</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Just last month, new rules that protect consumers who use credit cards went into effect.   While the rules in Credit Card Accountability and Disclosure Act mean that credit card users are generally better than they were before, credit card users won&#8217;t get any relief from long, complex disclosure statements:  the new rules are still complicated [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://azconsumer.org/new-credit-card-rules-better-but-still-complex/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>SNL &#8220;Presidents&#8221; Advise &#8220;Obama:&#8221;  Pass Financial Regs</title>
		<link>http://azconsumer.org/snl-presidents-advise-obama-pass-financial-regs/</link>
		<comments>http://azconsumer.org/snl-presidents-advise-obama-pass-financial-regs/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 03 Mar 2010 17:12:33 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Leslie Kyman Cooper</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Finance & Credit]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.azconsumer.org/?p=670</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Check out this video, produced by Ron Howard, in which actors who have played the presidents on Saturday Night Live advise another playing President Obama to clean up the financial mess they caused, and pass financial regulatory reform.  SNL &#8216;Presidents&#8217; Push for Wall Street Reform
]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://azconsumer.org/snl-presidents-advise-obama-pass-financial-regs/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>AzCC Letter to the Editor:  Just Say No to Pay Day Lenders</title>
		<link>http://azconsumer.org/azcc-letter-to-the-editor-just-say-no-to-pay-day-lenders/</link>
		<comments>http://azconsumer.org/azcc-letter-to-the-editor-just-say-no-to-pay-day-lenders/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 01 Mar 2010 16:47:48 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Leslie Kyman Cooper</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Payday Loans]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.azconsumer.org/?p=642</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[The Arizona Consumers Council sent this letter to the Prescott Daily Courier, in response a letter from the Center for Consumer Freedom (an astroturf organization) that suggested that imposing fee caps on pay day loans will cut off a necessary resource.
Dear Editor:
In 2008, pay day lenders funded a pricey initiative in an attempt to ensure [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://azconsumer.org/azcc-letter-to-the-editor-just-say-no-to-pay-day-lenders/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Stay Away from Quickie Tax Refund Loans</title>
		<link>http://azconsumer.org/stay-away-from-quickie-tax-refund-loans/</link>
		<comments>http://azconsumer.org/stay-away-from-quickie-tax-refund-loans/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 02 Feb 2010 18:50:00 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Leslie Kyman Cooper</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Finance & Credit]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.azconsumer.org/?p=498</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Consumers looking to get their tax refund more quickly should reject quickie tax refund loans offered by many tax preparation services.  While it might be tempting to take such a loan as part of a package that includes free tax preparation services, in reality, such loans cost a lot but offer little.  In most cases, [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://azconsumer.org/stay-away-from-quickie-tax-refund-loans/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Arizona Opponents of Payday See HB2161 Postponed</title>
		<link>http://azconsumer.org/arizona-opponents-of-payday-see-hb2161-postponed/</link>
		<comments>http://azconsumer.org/arizona-opponents-of-payday-see-hb2161-postponed/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 28 Jan 2010 05:47:24 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Doreen Mauro</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Finance & Credit]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Payday Loans]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Predatory Lending]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.azconsumer.org/?p=458</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[On Monday the House Banking and Insurance Committee decided not to discuss and vote on HB2161. The bill apparently will undo regulation on payday loans set to go into effect this year. Consumer advocates from Center for Economic Integrity, Center for Responsible Lending, No More Loan Sharks, Consumer Federation of America and AARP Arizona attended. [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://azconsumer.org/arizona-opponents-of-payday-see-hb2161-postponed/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Arizonans United Against Abuses of Payday Lending</title>
		<link>http://azconsumer.org/arizonans-united-against-abuses-of-payday-lending/</link>
		<comments>http://azconsumer.org/arizonans-united-against-abuses-of-payday-lending/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 19 Jan 2010 01:26:21 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Doreen Mauro</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Payday Loans]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[eNews]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.azconsumer.org/?p=116</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[In a  No More Loan Sharks press release for January 14, 2010, Arizonans for Responsible Lending and consumer advocates spoke out at the Arizona State Capitol against the abuses of payday lending, and the continued attempts by industry lobbyists to overturn Arizona voters&#8217; desire for protection. Viewed as legalized loan-sharking by many, payday loans [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://azconsumer.org/arizonans-united-against-abuses-of-payday-lending/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
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