The Center for Responsible Lending, a Self-Help affiliate, is a national nonprofit, nonpartisan research and policy organization. CRL is dedicated to protecting homeownership and family wealth by working to eliminate abusive financial practices. Our focus is on consumer lending, including home loans, payday loans, credit cards, bank overdrafts, auto loans and student loans.
CRL's advocacy is strengthened by drawing on practical knowledge gained from Self-Help's years of lending experience. We fight for fair and responsible practices in a variety of ways:
- Research - CRL conducts groundbreaking research on different types of predatory lending, measuring the scope and impact of abusive practices.
- State Advocacy - We work with state-based coalitions and policymakers to address lending abuses in individual states and to support positive changes on the federal level.
- Coalition-Building - We provide data, legal analysis and other support to strengthen partners and allies throughout the nation.
CRL works for reforms in close partnership with civil rights organizations, organized labor, faith-based communities and other community and consumer advocates. By joining forces with our allies, we increase public awareness of abusive lending practices and mobilize vocal grassroots and grasstops support for constructive change.