Submission: Proposed amendments to the Consumer Credit and Corporations Legislation Amendment (Enhancements) Bill 2011

In brief, this submission recommends: With regards to hardship variations that Government consider providing detailed guidance to credit providers, perhaps through ASIC, to assist them to better a...

May 9, 2012

Joint submission: Consumer protections for users of payday loans

The following is a joint submission in response to Treasury's April 2012 discussion paper on proposed reforms to Small Amount Credit Contracts. This submission has been prepared by Consumer Action La...

May 9, 2012

Policy report: Profiling for profit – a report on target marketing and profiling practices in the credit industry

The marketing of products and services to consumers who are likely to be interested in the offer, or to be profitable for the business, is not new. However, with the development of more sophisticated...

April 29, 2012

Media release: Revised payday lending Bill puts profits before people

The Consumer Action Law Centre has condemned the Federal Government’s proposed amendments to its Credit Enhancements Bill, calling them a cave in to industry lobbying and lamenting a lost opportunity...

April 25, 2012

Media release: Consumer group says Cash Converters’ process need formal investigation

The Consumer Action Law Centre has asked the Australian Securities and Investment Commission (ASIC) to undertake a formal investigation into the internal dispute resolution processes of Cash Converter...

March 8, 2012

Media release: Ombudsman asked to consider lending practices of payday loan provider

Consumer Action is lodging another dispute against a high profile payday loan provider. The most recent dispute, being lodged on behalf of Ms Jane Bowyer with the Credit Ombudsman Service, alleges The...

March 6, 2012

Community lawyers claim The Cash Store’s holiday marketing is irresponsible

A new advertisement from one of Australia’s leading payday loan brokers, The Cash Store, has raised the ire of two community legal centres, who fear the advert may result in many Victorian’s entering...

December 21, 2011

Media release: Community lawyers claim The Cash Store’s holiday marketing is irresponsible

A new advertisement from one of Australia’s leading payday loan brokers, The Cash Store, has raised the ire of two community legal centres, who fear the advert may result in many Victorian’s entering...

December 21, 2011

Media release: Committee’s report shows responsible lending laws aren’t enough

The Consumer Action Law Centre has welcomed the finding from a parliamentary committee of inquiry that Australia’s responsible lending laws don’t sufficiently protect consumers from harmful payday loa...

December 2, 2011

Media release: Time for the Federal Opposition to show its hand on payday lending reforms

A coalition of consumer groups has called on the Federal Opposition to back the Government’s proposed national credit reforms, which are designed to protect payday loan borrowers from effective intere...

November 18, 2011

Media release: Consumer Action welcomes ASIC investigation into broker responsible lending conduct

Consumer Action Law Centre has welcomed the release of the Australian Securities and Investment Commission's (ASIC) investigation into mortgage brokers' responsible lending conduct, focusing on ‘low d...

November 18, 2011

Media release: Government warned that new credit card regulation may require running repairs

The Consumer Action Law Centre has welcomed the Federal Government’s ban on credit providers making unsolicited credit card limit increase offers to customers, but believes that ambiguity in the regul...

November 11, 2011

Media release: Payday lending practices challenged in court

The lending practices of Australian’s biggest payday lender, Cash Converters, are being challenged in proceedings issued in the Victorian Magistrates Court. A disability support pensioner is alleging...

October 17, 2011

Media release: New website delivers the cold hard and sad facts about payday lending

A coalition of consumer and financial counselling organisations has launched a new website to ensure the hard truths are heard in the debate about the future of short term high cost loans - www.debttr...

September 21, 2011

Media release: Government reforms offer a branch to consumers stuck in high cost short term lending quicksand

The Consumer Action Law Centre has welcomed the Federal Government’s proposed cap on the amounts lenders of high cost short term loans (often referred to as 'payday loans') can recover from consumers,...

August 25, 2011

Media release: 400 per cent interest rates undermine ‘responsible lending laws’

Exorbitant effective interest rates on short term loans, upwards of 400 per cent, continue to put the pinch on vulnerable Australians despite the introduction of responsible lending laws in 2010. Mis...

June 22, 2011

Submission: Reserve Bank of Australia – Treasury ATM Taskforce consultations

Consumer Action welcomes the opportunity to contribute to the RBA-Treasury ATM Taskforce's report on the March 2009 ATM reforms. The March 2009 reforms can be considered a broad success, both because...

April 15, 2011

Submission: National Consumer Credit Protection Amendment Regulations 2011 – exposure draft

Consumer Action welcomes the opportunity to comment on the exposure draft of the National Consumer Credit Protection Amendment Regulations 2011, setting out the proposed amendment to ban exit fees on...

February 25, 2011

Submission: Exposure Draft – National Consumer Credit Protection Amendment Regulations 2011

Consumer Action welcomes the opportunity to comment on the exposure draft of the National Consumer Credit Protection Amendment Regulations 2011, setting out the proposed amendment to ban exit fees on...

February 25, 2011

Submission: Financial Services Working Group – Corporations Amendment Regulations 2009

Consumer Action is a strong supporter of the objectives of the Financial Services Working Group in endeavouring to make financial services product disclosure simpler and more meaningful for consumers,...

March 5, 2010

Submission: Access Regime for the ATM System

Consumer Action supports the RBA’s efforts to improve the efficiency and competitiveness of payments systems in Australia, including the ATM system. As the Consultation notes, interchange fee amounts...

February 4, 2009

Joint submission: Review of the Code of Banking Practice 2007-2008

CHOICE and Consumer Action support and endorse the joint consumer submission to the Review of the Code of Banking Practice. This submission concentrates on the issue of bank penalty fees in more detai...

July 31, 2008

Submission: Inquiry into competition in the banking and non-banking sectors

Consumer Action is pleased to make a submission to the House of Representatives Standing Committee on Economics inquiry into competition in the banking and non-banking sectors. Our submission conside...

July 18, 2008

Submission: Financial Services and Credit Reform Green Paper

Consumer Action strongly supports Option 2 proposed on page 12 of the Green Paper, where the Commonwealth Government would assume responsibility, not only for mortgage credit and advice, but also for...

July 1, 2008

Submission: Reform of Australia’s payments system

Consumer Action is supportive of the approach by the Reserve Bank of Australia to the electronic payments system and we welcome the pragmatism of the RBA in stepping in and regulating interchange fees...

June 30, 2008

Submission: Inquiry into Australia’s Mandatory Last Resort Home Warranty Insurance Schemes

Consumer Action welcomes the Senate Economics Committee Inquiry into Australia’s Mandatory Last Resort Home Building Warranty Insurance (HBWI) schemes. We have long been concerned that the mandatory H...

April 16, 2008

Media release: Time well overdue for banks to cut their excessive penalty fees

Consumer Action Law Centre has written to the Australian Bankers Association (ABA) and Abacus Australian Mutuals demanding that banks, credit unions and building societies put a stop to penalty fees t...

May 11, 2007