Banking & Credit

Wrong Way: Wrecked by Debt – Auto Title Lending in Arizona

Five years after payday lending sunset in Arizona, the Consumer Federation of America (CFA) and the Southwest Center for Economic Integrity (CEI) conducted an examination of the title loan market in Arizona. Title loans are consumer loans secured by the borrower’s vehicle and are made by lenders licensed by the Arizona Department of Financial Institutions (AZDFI). Arizona compiles no information on licensees or the title loan industry. The report examines the exponential growth of title lenders since Arizona’s law authorizing payday loans expired in 2010 and documents the high risk to borrowers who secure loans with the title to their vehicles, including repossession, deficiency balances, balloon payment debt and collection costs.