Americans for Fairness in Lending (AFFIL) is a non-profit organization designed to draw attention to what it calls abuses by the lending industry in America. AFFIL’s stated goal is government regulation of the lending industry to protect American consumers

Consumer

Consumer is a broad label for any individuals or households that use goods generated within the economy. The concept of a consumer occurs in different contexts, so that the usage and significance of the term may vary.-Economics and marketing:...

 from financial products which deplete assets and can lead to bankruptcy

Bankruptcy

Bankruptcy is a legal status of an insolvent person or an organisation, that is, one that cannot repay the debts owed to creditors. In most jurisdictions bankruptcy is imposed by a court order, often initiated by the debtor....

 and foreclosure

Foreclosure

Foreclosure is the legal process by which a mortgage lender , or other lien holder, obtains a termination of a mortgage borrower 's equitable right of redemption, either by court order or by operation of law...

.

AFFIL is an umbrella organization for groups working on lending and asset-building issues. Its official partners include: ACORN

Acorn

The acorn, or oak nut, is the nut of the oaks and their close relatives . It usually contains a single seed , enclosed in a tough, leathery shell, and borne in a cup-shaped cupule. Acorns vary from 1–6 cm long and 0.8–4 cm broad...

, California Reinvestment Coalition, Center for Responsible Lending, CFED, Community Reinvestment Association – North Carolina, Consumer Federation of America

Consumer Federation of America

The Consumer Federation of America is a non-profit organization founded in 1968 to advance consumer interests through research, education and advocacy....

, Consumers Union

Consumers Union

Consumers Union is a non-profit organization best known as the publisher of Consumer Reports, based in the United States. Its mission is to "test products, inform the public, and protect consumers."...

, Demos

Demos (U.S. think tank)

Demos is a United States-based research and policy center that was founded in 2000. Based on its widely cited work in the media and growing impact on national and state policy, Demos continues to influence North American debate about election reform and economic security, with a particular emphasis...

, National Association of Consumer Advocates, National Consumer Law Center

National Consumer Law Center

The National Consumer Law Center is an American nonprofit organization specializing in consumer issues on behalf of low-income people. Legal services, government and private attorneys, as well as community organizations, work with the center to advocate for consumer reform.The National Consumer Law...

, NEDAP, United Professionals, PIRG

Pirg

Pirg is a municipality in the Korçë District, Korçë County, southeastern Albania. The municipality consists of the villages Pirg, Gurishtë, Zvirinë, Leminot, Qershizë, Kakaç, Shqitas, Veliternë, Sovjan, Novoselë and Bubuq....

, Public Citizen

Public Citizen

Public Citizen is a non-profit, consumer rights advocacy group based in Washington, D.C., United States, with a branch in Austin, Texas. Public Citizen was founded by Ralph Nader in 1971, headed for 26 years by Joan Claybrook, and is now headed by Robert Weissman.-Lobbying Efforts:Public Citizen...

 and the Woodstock Institute. AFFIL also works with about one-hundred locally focused ally organizations throughout the country. AFFIL is based in Boston

Boston

Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...

, Massachusetts

Massachusetts

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...

 at 7 Winthrop Square, 5th floor.

Projects

To spread its message about the need for the re-regulation of the lending industry, AFFIL has partnered with James Scurlock

James Scurlock

James Duncan Scurlock is an American director, producer, writer and financial adviser. He is probably best-known for his critically acclaimed documentary Maxed Out: Hard Times, Easy Credit and the Era of Predatory Lenders and his award winning book, Maxed Out: Hard Times in the Age of Easy...

’s movie and book Maxed Out

Maxed Out

Maxed Out: Hard Times, Easy Credit and the Era of Predatory Lenders is an independent feature-length documentary film and book that chronicles abusive practices in the credit card industry....

.

AFFIL has also produced print ads, two short videos, and maintains a website

Website

A website, also written as Web site, web site, or simply site, is a collection of related web pages containing images, videos or other digital assets. A website is hosted on at least one web server, accessible via a network such as the Internet or a private local area network through an Internet...

. The website includes information about: mortgages, payday loans, credit cards, debt collection, credit reports, car financing, car title loans, rent to own

Rent to own

Rent-to-own, also known as rental-purchase, is a type of legally documented transaction under which tangible property, such as furniture, consumer electronics and home appliances, is leased in exchange for a weekly or monthly payment, with the option to purchase at some point during the agreement...

, and tax refund anticipation loan

Refund Anticipation Loan

A refund anticipation loan is a short-term consumer loan secured by a taxpayer’s expected tax refund, and designed to offer customers quicker access to funds than waiting for their tax refund...

s. The website

Website

A website, also written as Web site, web site, or simply site, is a collection of related web pages containing images, videos or other digital assets. A website is hosted on at least one web server, accessible via a network such as the Internet or a private local area network through an Internet...

 discusses how to avoid predatory loans and take action to stop predatory lending

Predatory lending

Predatory lending describes unfair, deceptive, or fraudulent practices of some lenders during the loan origination process. While there are no legal definitions in the United States for predatory lending, an audit report on predatory lending from the office of inspector general of the FDIC broadly...

. AFFIL and its Partners also wrote “Six Principles of Predatory Lending."

History

In 2004, a group of advocates and organizations began talking about how to combat the growth of debt

Debt

A debt is an obligation owed by one party to a second party, the creditor; usually this refers to assets granted by the creditor to the debtor, but the term can also be used metaphorically to cover moral obligations and other interactions not based on economic value.A debt is created when a...

, bankruptcy

Bankruptcy

Bankruptcy is a legal status of an insolvent person or an organisation, that is, one that cannot repay the debts owed to creditors. In most jurisdictions bankruptcy is imposed by a court order, often initiated by the debtor....

, and home foreclosures. They determined that regulation

Regulation

Regulation is administrative legislation that constitutes or constrains rights and allocates responsibilities. It can be distinguished from primary legislation on the one hand and judge-made law on the other...

of all lenders is necessary to prevent a race to the bottom and to ensure that rogue lenders do not profit more than the responsible.