New York State's Human Rights Division Files Landmark Suits Against Sellers of Tax Refund Anticipation Loans

by Brian Wolfman

The New York State Human Rights Division has just filed first-of-their-kind suits against firms that market tax refund anticipation loans (RALs). The suits claim that the firms' RAL businesses illegally target African-American and hispanic consumers and members of the military. The New York Times suggests that the suits are an effort to end the RAL industry. The complaints in the two cases can be found here and here. Read the press release announcing the suit.

I blogged last year about the annual report of the National Consumer Law Center and Consumer Federation of America on RALs. Yesterday, those groups issued a press release concerning their most recent findings.