Bankruptcy

Bankruptcy in the Senate, December 4

By Bob Lawless

I'm in Providence, Rhode Island, for a field hearing of the Senate Judiciary Committee. The hearing is "Credit Cards and Bankruptcy: Opportunities for Reform." The other witness are former Credit Slips guest blogger and attorney for the National Consumer Law Center John Rao, Bankruptcy Judge Thomas Small of the Eastern District for North Carolina, and Professor John Chung of the Roger WIlliams University School of Law. The cab driver from the airport was among the most friendliest I've encountered and was pointing out the many fine features of Providence as we drove in. It's always nice to have your first contact with a place be with someone who is proud of their town.

One of the topics will be S. 3259, the Consumer Credit Fairness Act introduced by Senators Whitehouse and Durbin. This bill defines a "high cost consumer credit transaction" as one in which the interest and fees create an interest more than 15% higher than the rate on 30-year U.S. Treasury obligations (up to a maximum of 36%). Right now, that would be a credit transaction with an interest rate a little over 18%. The bill then would subordinate to all other claims in a consumer bankruptcy any "high cost consumer credit transaction" and would excuse from the means test any bankruptcy caused by a "high cost consumer credit transaction."

Full post as published by Credit Slips on December 03, 2008 (boomark / email).