OCCC Examinations in Full Swing

OCCC Examinations in Full Swing

by The CAB Man Texas on May 11, 2012

Good afternoon Credit Access Business World!  For those of you who are out and about on the internet today doing a little research on OCCC CAB Compliance, OCCC Audits, Credit Access Business licensing, etc, you most likely will happen upon this blog post.  I have been working with Credit Access Businesses on their compliance, the OCCC quarterly reports, and examination preparation.  Over the last few weeks there has been a definite up-tick in word on the street about the “Audit.”  The OCCC is calling them “Examinations” and they began in mid-April.

In December 2011, I met with the OCCC and was given some hi-lights of what an examination would be focused.  My recommendation is that you focus on Chapter 393 of the Texas Finance Code, HB 2592, and HB 2594.   Make sure your loan contracts include all recommended and required disclosures, and be ready to have files reviewed.  It is possible that a CAB be asked to refund some or all fees collected in 2012 if certain violations occur.  So, the price is high for non-compliance and sloppy documentation.

If you have doubts, there are many options out there, contact the OCCC or CAB Consulting and Brokerage, get with attorneys who are experienced, or reach out to friendly competitors.  The small to mid-size operators might be in harm’s way as they are not traditionally the ones with consultants, on staff attorneys, etc.  So if you are one who fits that profile – now is the time to invest in your business, take the time to do your research, or hire someone to review it.

If you are licensed you will be examined, and it is typical for the OCCC to simply show up at your store with no prior notice.   Call Michael Brown at CAB Consulting and Brokerage, we can discuss options and get going on a plan.  Michael can be reached at 214-293-8676, or via email at cabconbrokerage@gmail.com.

 

{ 1 comment… read it below or add one }

Tangela Taylor September 8, 2016 at 12:40 am

Need to know your costs for getting the OCCC License completed.
Please call me at 214-207-7496

Reply

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The Texas Payday Loan Ordinance suffers another blow, this time Abilene voted it down.

The Texas Payday Loan Ordinance suffers another blow, this time Abilene voted it down.

by The CAB Man Texas on May 12, 2017

Down goes another “payday down city ordinance! On Thursday, April 27th. 2017 the Abilene City Council did right thing and voted “NO” on the so-called “payday loan city ordinance.”

Things do not seem to be going very well for the payday loan city ordinance these days the truth is really starting to get out that it is not even being enforced and the courts have decided (in two separate cases) that it is pre-empted by State Law!

So, let’s talk about how this latest defeat of the payday loan city ordinance went down in Abilene.  First, I must say that I have been to many city council meetings to participate in the payday loan ordinance conversation and I have never seen so many customers turn out to tell a city council to stay out of their personal finance decisions.  Not only did they turn out in droves to the meetings but those who could not attend inundated the city council email in-boxes and phone lines with a strong voice saying – vote “NO” on the ordinance.

Dozens of customers attended both the city council meetings the week of the “NO” vote wearing white t-shirts with “Stop the Ordinance” on it, inside the shape of a big red stop sign.  Supporters of the ordinance had to have been very impressed by the sea of white t-shirts streaming into the council chambers while cameras were rolling.  I think there was a grand total of (1) customer who attended the meetings that supported the ordinance on the other hand.  But, our anti-ordinance customers stood tall and proud when they approached the microphone.  Nearly (30) anti-ordinance supporters attended in their “Stop the Ordinance” gear, and the total for the two meetings had to have been way above that.

Those payday and auto title loan borrowers in attendance were there to tell the council to vote “NO,” to share their reasons for borrowing, and to vent their frustration that they could be possibly have their financial choices severely damaged by a reckless city ordinance that is a complete failure in 41 other cities in Texas.  In the end, it was the voice of those customers that stood proud and tall to defend themselves that swayed the city council to refuse to pass the ordinance.  I can remember the moment Councilman Shane Price held up the stack of comments he received and printed out from his email.  The vote “NO” stack was inches thick and the stack of comments from those who supported the ordinance was quite light.  In the end, he said that is what mattered.

What an empowering experience for many of these folks to go down to the formal and intimidating City Hall and have their voice heard.  The customers stood strong in the face of Newspaper reporters, TV cameras, and the breathless consumer advocate groups who were there to insult them and suggest they were not intelligent enough to manage their own finances.

I could see how those supporting the ordinance began to place pressure on city council, how they began to burden the council with solving the much larger issue that is at the core of the need for short term small dollar loans.  That is the fact that many Americans simply do not have enough money saved to fall back on in the event of an emergency or other problem in life.  70% of Americans do not have over $1,000 in their bank account – this is the problem.  The supporters of the payday loan ordinance were trying to sell the council and get them to pass an ordinance that would raise payment amounts, close businesses, and do nothing to impact that core issue.

I was talking with a customer of ours at the meeting and we were joking and wondering if the next ordinance to be rolled out would restrict Whataburger from selling hamburgers with meat in them so the Abilene City Council can end all heart attacks in city limits. Can you imagine this?

“Hey, Whataburger, yeah, we are not saying we want to put you out of business, but um, yeah we can’t allow you to actually put meat on your burgers anymore, because, you know, it uh, causes heart attacks and you are a terrible person too by the way, but we just want to protect our citizens from your predatory burger making practices with some thoughtful restrictions on fast food hamburgers…oh and burgers can still be sold at real restaurants though, they can still sell hamburgers it is just your kind of hamburgers that we don’t like, yeahhh.” 

It was hilarious, but quite honestly from our standpoint the payday loan ordinance is just as absurd.  The payday loan ordinance is a misguided disaster that is going to continue to unravel.  What the consumer advocate groups and church groups cannot grasp is the fact that the city ordinance does not achieve what they say they want.  It is a gigantic lie that has been perpetrated in 41 cities.  Their (mostly Texas Municipal League and Texas Appleseed) technique to get the ordinances passed has worked in those cities where council members do not do their homework, believe in a lot of regulation, or just want the businesses to go away.  But, their tired argument has grown stale, the final blow appears to be that cities are losing court cases over it, and cities are now voting it down.

Consumer advocates and church groups have their hearts in the right place but are choosing wrong vehicle to help solve what is a much larger problem than the short term small dollar loan industry.  I mean, unless you just did not do the math on how the 25% rule in the ordinance works, how can you ask the city council to approve an ordinance that will raise a borrower’s payment amount?  That fact alone should have caused the ordinances to get dumped in the trashcan two minutes after Texas Appleseed comes strolling into a city council person’s office.

Texas Appleseed – did you know payday transactions have hovered at the same level statewide even with a 41% decrease in stores?  Is the ordinance really the ideal vehicle for your cause?  If you want to do some more good, why not help communities apply for for a $30,000 grant from the Texas Educational Endowment Fund (http://occc.texas.gov/consumers/texas-financial-education-endowment-tfee-grant-program) to start financial education in the schools in your town instead?  This fund is completely funded by Credit Access Businesses to the tune of $400,000 per year (roughly).

The bad news regarding the TFEE is that Texas Appleseed and TML’s efforts resulted in the closure of 1,400+ locations which caused contributions to the TFEE to fall through the floor.  In 2013, the annual contribution amount was more like $700,000 per year.  $300,000 less per year is an insane amount of money that they took away from some groups that could have made a difference for the same people you are trying to help.

Also, the OCCC has taken a huge hit on licensing revenue that they could have used to hire new examiners to enforce the regulations already in place statewide.  Licensing fees are $600 per year per location, with 1,400 less locations in 2017 versus 2013 that comes to $840,000 less in licensing revenue per year.

Between the loss in TFEE contributions and the loss of OCCC licensing revenue that adds up to millions of dollars you have caused to evaporate from places that could have helped the consumers you are trying to protect.

To Churches and other groups besides TML and Texas Appleseed that have chosen to pile onto this issue when the issue comes up at city council meetings – why not just payoff all the loans that people take out with your own money?  Or why not just offer them a loan at 10% APR yourselves?  Stop asking the city fix the problem with a lousy ordinance and fund some loans yourself!

Long blog and I could go on about this for days, but I am going to wrap this up and save my energy for the next city that wants to look at the payday loan city ordinance.  I will conclude with another thank you to all the people that worked hard in Abilene to get the “NO” vote and again say how much we appreciated the opportunity to tell our side of the story to a city council who really committed to doing their research on this issue.

If you would like to read about what happened in Abilene here are a couple links to news on the “NO” vote that we were so thankful for:

http://www.reporternews.com/story/news/local/2017/04/25/payday-loan-debate-rages-abilene-city-council/100906592/

http://www.ktxs.com/news/citizens-voice-opinion-about-payday-lending-ordinance/449890488

http://www.bigcountryhomepage.com/news/abilene-city-council-rejects-regulating-payday-loan-businesses/700635585

This blog post was written by Michael Brown, President of CAB Consulting and the Texas Organization of Financial Service Centers.  He can be reached at 214-293-8676, or Michael@CreditAccessBusiness.com.

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Texas Payday Loan Businesses – Take a CAB!

Texas Payday Loan Businesses – Take a CAB!

by The CAB Man Texas on September 2, 2011

What is a CAB?  Well, if you are a payday loan business in Texas, it’s now you starting January 1, 2012.

The title CAB stands for Credit Access Business, and along with the name change comes many changes for payday loan businesses. The current CSO (Credit Services Organization) model will evolve next year thus transitioning all payday loan businesses into CABs, which requires these businesses to comply with new regulations. Understanding the new regulations is vital to continuing your payday loan business.

Licensing is one portion of the CAB transition. Under Texas House Bill 2594, which addresses the new licensing process, current CSOs will be required to attain a CAB license and will be subject to a thorough review.   Applicants will undergo reviews not just of their business operation, but also of the principals involved with the CAB’s whose personal and business background will be requested.

What else is included in the CAB licensing process? A new application and detailed reports must be submitted to the state and an approval must be obtained in order for current businesses to operate legally after January 1, 2012. In addition, all Texas payday loan businesses must file quarterly reports, with the first being due April 2012.  The reports will summarize the prior three months of transactions and will be reviewed by the OCCC (Office of Consumer Credit Commissioner), which is the new governing body of the industry in Texas.  This process is new, it is an unknown, and will take some thought.  Are you ready to take this on?  In addition to the day-to-day operations of your payday loan business, you must create a plan to ensure compliance with the OCCC, which is a big undertaking.

The good news? CAB Consulting and Brokerage understands all the details required for your payday loan business to transition from a CSO to a CAB.  They’ve been in the payday loan business since 2003 and have recently participated in the rule making process at the Capitol in Austin to ensure thorough understanding of the CAB model and to voice preferences and concerns about proposed rules.

Don’t get bogged down by the details – contact CAB Consulting and Brokerage at 214-293-8676.   Let them inform you, handle the details of your transition, and execute the process so you can continue to do business in Texas.

Check back in for details about the new notices and disclosures requirements under the new CAB regulations.

{ 4 comments… read them below or add one }

Randy Olson May 1, 2013 at 10:59 pm

could you please send me some info about how we go about getting a loan office for Pay Day type loans started ? What license and how to apply would we need for Kerrville, Texas? What type of rules do we need to follow for our loans and where do we get a example of the contracts?
Thank you for any help you can give us.
Randy Olson

Reply

admin August 10, 2013 at 7:43 am

Hi Randy,

Congrats on your new biz. We’ve got sample docs, forms, and know-how for this. My team is focused on Texas payday ans car title loans.

Call me at 214-293-8676 Michael

Reply

Don Dunlap August 9, 2013 at 2:33 pm

I am brand new at this business idea and would like start up consulting advice

Reply

Anonymous August 10, 2013 at 7:38 am

Give us a call,Don. PH# on my web site

Reply

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Texas Payday Loan Businesses – Take a CAB!

Texas Payday Loan Businesses – Take a CAB!

by The CAB Man Texas on September 2, 2011

What is a CAB?  Well, if you are a payday loan business in Texas, it’s now you starting January 1, 2012.

The title CAB stands for Credit Access Business, and along with the name change comes many changes for payday loan businesses. The current CSO (Credit Services Organization) model will evolve next year thus transitioning all payday loan businesses into CABs, which requires these businesses to comply with new regulations. Understanding the new regulations is vital to continuing your payday loan business.

Licensing is one portion of the CAB transition. Under Texas House Bill 2594, which addresses the new licensing process, current CSOs will be required to attain a CAB license and will be subject to a thorough review.   Applicants will undergo reviews not just of their business operation, but also of the principals involved with the CAB’s whose personal and business background will be requested.

What else is included in the CAB licensing process? A new application and detailed reports must be submitted to the state and an approval must be obtained in order for current businesses to operate legally after January 1, 2012. In addition, all Texas payday loan businesses must file quarterly reports, with the first being due April 2012.  The reports will summarize the prior three months of transactions and will be reviewed by the OCCC (Office of Consumer Credit Commissioner), which is the new governing body of the industry in Texas.  This process is new, it is an unknown, and will take some thought.  Are you ready to take this on?  In addition to the day-to-day operations of your payday loan business, you must create a plan to ensure compliance with the OCCC, which is a big undertaking.

The good news? CAB Consulting and Brokerage understands all the details required for your payday loan business to transition from a CSO to a CAB.  They’ve been in the payday loan business since 2003 and have recently participated in the rule making process at the Capitol in Austin to ensure thorough understanding of the CAB model and to voice preferences and concerns about proposed rules.

Don’t get bogged down by the details – contact CAB Consulting and Brokerage at 214-293-8676.   Let them inform you, handle the details of your transition, and execute the process so you can continue to do business in Texas.

Check back in for details about the new notices and disclosures requirements under the new CAB regulations.

{ 4 comments… read them below or add one }

Randy Olson May 1, 2013 at 10:59 pm

could you please send me some info about how we go about getting a loan office for Pay Day type loans started ? What license and how to apply would we need for Kerrville, Texas? What type of rules do we need to follow for our loans and where do we get a example of the contracts?
Thank you for any help you can give us.
Randy Olson

Reply

admin August 10, 2013 at 7:43 am

Hi Randy,

Congrats on your new biz. We’ve got sample docs, forms, and know-how for this. My team is focused on Texas payday ans car title loans.

Call me at 214-293-8676 Michael

Reply

Don Dunlap August 9, 2013 at 2:33 pm

I am brand new at this business idea and would like start up consulting advice

Reply

Anonymous August 10, 2013 at 7:38 am

Give us a call,Don. PH# on my web site

Reply

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Act now to get your Credit Access Business License!

Act now to get your Credit Access Business License!

by The CAB Man Texas on December 20, 2011

Spent last week traveling all over Texas visiting with new and existing clients, also went to the OCCC offices for two meetings.  Still trying to get caught up as of today, it is important for blog readers and site visitors to know a variety of things as January 1, 2012 is just 11 days from today.

Something I want emphasize heavily:  if you are a CSO with existing business and you have not begun the application process, contact CAB Consulting and Brokerage or the OCCC immediately.  I am getting calls from business owners who are not fully aware of the situation or have not completed the application.  The deadline for licensing is January 1, 2012.  If you do not have a license in hand on that date, your CSO should not be offering payday or title loans.

You have options if you are late in the process.  The Texas Finance Commission voted on Friday to allow for the creation of a provisional license for Credit Access Business license applicants.  If your CSO has not submitted an application as of now you will need to seek a provisional license.  The OCCC is working intensely and is still processing CAB applications that were submitted well ahead of the deadline.

If your business does not have a license or provisional license in hand on January 1, 2012 and you are operating you could be subject to fines.

I have more information about this and can help if you have questions.  Feel free to call Michael Brown at 214-293-8676 or email cabconbrokerage@gmail.com.

If you wish to contact the OCCC directly on the matter, you can reach them at 512-936-7600.

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Examinations by the OCCC – show them you are tuned in!

Examinations by the OCCC – show them you are tuned in!

by The CAB Man Texas on August 6, 2012

Over the last 7 months CAB’s in Texas have evolved from a non-regulated space into the new CAB environment.  The OCCC has implemented its new way of doing things and there have been a few surprises along the way.

As a licensed Credit Access Business who has committed to learning the laws and made it a priority to study the rules outlining compliance, you are well on your way.   Do you have 100% confidence in how you have implemented Credit Access Business rules in your stores?  Have you talked with other friendly competitors about how they interpret the rules?   If you did, you might know that a preliminary round of OCCC examinations was performed.  There was some industry “buzz” from those examinations that gave many of us more of an idea of what’s to be expected.  The OCCC has been great to work with so far, for example what many would call their visits to your store an “OCCC audit”, they call an “examination.”  Seems to like a softer and friendlier term…

A commitment to gaining knowledge, operating legally, operating fairly, and exchanging information with peers is key to building confidence and securitizing your business.   So, how exactly might that be done?  Contact CAB Consulting and Brokerage!  We have created plans for our clients that create a simple approach to OCCC compliance.  CAB Consulting and Brokerage’s relationships across also put it in an ideal position to communicate recent developments and pass the latest “buzz” to your business.

Show the OCCC that your Credit Access Business is tuned in when their examination of your business goes smoothly and without any surprises.  Be an ideal CAB and get informed – make the OCCC’s job easy!   Start by contacting CAB Consulting and Brokerage to discuss how we might be able to go to work for you.  Reach Michael Brown at 214-293-8676 or via email at michael@creditaccessbusiness.com.

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Texas Payday Loan Businesses – Take a CAB!

Texas Payday Loan Businesses – Take a CAB!

by The CAB Man Texas on September 2, 2011

What is a CAB?  Well, if you are a payday loan business in Texas, it’s now you starting January 1, 2012.

The title CAB stands for Credit Access Business, and along with the name change comes many changes for payday loan businesses. The current CSO (Credit Services Organization) model will evolve next year thus transitioning all payday loan businesses into CABs, which requires these businesses to comply with new regulations. Understanding the new regulations is vital to continuing your payday loan business.

Licensing is one portion of the CAB transition. Under Texas House Bill 2594, which addresses the new licensing process, current CSOs will be required to attain a CAB license and will be subject to a thorough review.   Applicants will undergo reviews not just of their business operation, but also of the principals involved with the CAB’s whose personal and business background will be requested.

What else is included in the CAB licensing process? A new application and detailed reports must be submitted to the state and an approval must be obtained in order for current businesses to operate legally after January 1, 2012. In addition, all Texas payday loan businesses must file quarterly reports, with the first being due April 2012.  The reports will summarize the prior three months of transactions and will be reviewed by the OCCC (Office of Consumer Credit Commissioner), which is the new governing body of the industry in Texas.  This process is new, it is an unknown, and will take some thought.  Are you ready to take this on?  In addition to the day-to-day operations of your payday loan business, you must create a plan to ensure compliance with the OCCC, which is a big undertaking.

The good news? CAB Consulting and Brokerage understands all the details required for your payday loan business to transition from a CSO to a CAB.  They’ve been in the payday loan business since 2003 and have recently participated in the rule making process at the Capitol in Austin to ensure thorough understanding of the CAB model and to voice preferences and concerns about proposed rules.

Don’t get bogged down by the details – contact CAB Consulting and Brokerage at 214-293-8676.   Let them inform you, handle the details of your transition, and execute the process so you can continue to do business in Texas.

Check back in for details about the new notices and disclosures requirements under the new CAB regulations.

{ 4 comments… read them below or add one }

Randy Olson May 1, 2013 at 10:59 pm

could you please send me some info about how we go about getting a loan office for Pay Day type loans started ? What license and how to apply would we need for Kerrville, Texas? What type of rules do we need to follow for our loans and where do we get a example of the contracts?
Thank you for any help you can give us.
Randy Olson

Reply

admin August 10, 2013 at 7:43 am

Hi Randy,

Congrats on your new biz. We’ve got sample docs, forms, and know-how for this. My team is focused on Texas payday ans car title loans.

Call me at 214-293-8676 Michael

Reply

Don Dunlap August 9, 2013 at 2:33 pm

I am brand new at this business idea and would like start up consulting advice

Reply

Anonymous August 10, 2013 at 7:38 am

Give us a call,Don. PH# on my web site

Reply

Cancel reply

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Invitation to the OCCC Webinar on June 26th

Invitation to the OCCC Webinar on June 26th

by The CAB Man Texas on June 17, 2014

The OCCC sent out an invitation to Credit Access Business stakeholders today to a Webinar titled “What is a Credit Access Business?”  CAB Consulting has registered for the webinar and we look forward to attending on June 26th at 2pm CST.

Here are some of the topics that will be covered:

– Review of Licensing Requirements
– Review of the CAB Structure
– Review of Required Forms and Disclosures
– Review of CAB Quarterly and Annual Reporting

If you are interested in participating in the webinar, here’s the link to the Registration Page:  https://www4.gotomeeting.com/register/835753311

Space is limited to 100 attendees so act quickly and get registered!

 

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(3) bills already posted ahead of the 85th Texas Legislative Session

(3) bills already posted ahead of the 85th Texas Legislative Session

by The CAB Man Texas on January 6, 2017

The 85th Texas Legislative Session starts on Tuesday, January 10, 2017.  At this point, (3) bills have been posted ahead of the session.  See below for information on the bills as well as a few comments.

Ramon Romero (D): HB 60

Relating to requiring a credit access business to verify the vehicle identification number used to obtain a motor vehicle title loan.  Before obtaining a title loan for a consumer, to physically inspect the vehicle used as collateral, photograph the vehicle identification number, and verify that the number matches the number on the title provided by the consumer. Requires the CAB to retain the photograph until the second anniversary of the date the extension of credit is made.

Comments:  This really is something that any decent operator will do anyway. Not sure why additional regulation is needed here.  CABs have a very long list of regulations they abide by so why is Mr. Romero wanting to add more?

 

Matt Schaefer (R): HB 153

Relating to the authority of a municipality to regulate occupations.  Prohibits a municipality from adopting any ordinance that: (1) establishes additional, more stringent licensing requirements for an occupation that requires an occupational license issued by a state licensing authority, or (2) requires a person to obtain an occupational license issued by the municipality. Provides that any ordinance violating this prohibition is void.

Comments:  Anything that will void the city ordinances related to payday, installment, and auto title loans makes sense.  The city ordinances have caused over 1,500 businesses to close and have caused thousands of people to lose their jobs who worked at those stores.  With the increased cost of doing business that resulted from trying to survive the ordinances, CAB owners had no choice but to increase rates and that has hurt consumers – it was that or go out of business.

 

Diego Bernal (D): HB 197

Relating to contracts and other documents issued by credit access businesses.   Requires the contract and other documents provided by a CAB to be: (1) provided before signing written in both English and Spanish, (2) written in plain language, and (3) printed in an easily readable font and type size. Requires the Finance Commission to adopt rules implementing this provision. Requires the CAB disclosure and notice to be available in both English and Spanish at each CAB business location.

Comments:  CAB consumer loan document packages are typically 25 pages – if you have to create document package in both languages that will be 50+ pages of documents, tons of ink, paper, and toner.  That will mean an increase in costs and slower processing times which will be a major concern for business owners and an inconvenience for the customer, and likely even higher rates.   Who decides what “plain” language is? Will all the current document packages have to be re-written?  What is “reasonable” font size?  I know 12 point font is required in the TILA disclosures but due to all the regulations and other disclosures that are required to be provided, CABs (and other entities like banks) need to shrink font as small as possible so the documents aren’t too long.  (remember 25 pages+ to start).  If you go 12 point font on a document that is mostly 8 point font it is going to cause the document to double in size.  50 pages in English, 50 pages in Spanish!  And, the CAB has to make copies of the signed loan documents for their files so that becomes 200 pages!  All that for a $300 loan?  If this one passes we should all get into the paper, ink, and toner business!

 

This blog post was written by Michael Brown, President of CAB Consulting and the Texas Organization of Financial Service Centers.  He can be reached at 214-293-8676, or Michael@CreditAccessBusiness.com.

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The infamous and continuously failing Texas Payday Loan City Ordinance.

The infamous and continuously failing Texas Payday Loan City Ordinance.

by The CAB Man Texas on August 22, 2017

Since Texas cities began passing the infamous and continuously failing Texas Payday Loan City Ordinance there has been a decrease of 1,300 or so licensed locations inside the State.  According to the most recent OCCC licensee totals, this represents a 37% market shrink.  The results have been a shuttering of businesses in Texas, a loss of thousands jobs, a loss of real estate rents, and decrease in property tax revenues.  Rates have increased 12% in Ordinance cities and demand for unsecured short term credit has largely remained the same.  This is a cold hard truth that was laid out in City Council meetings when we were asking for a “No” vote on the Ordinance.  Is an “I told you so” in order here?

2017 has been a rough year for the Ordinance though, many cities are now bucking the trend and have voted the Ordinance down.  As well, the City of Austin got the double slam-dunk in their simultaneous loss to Speedy Cash and Advance America City Ordinance lawsuits in April.  Those two cases were around a year in the making I wonder if the taxpayers of Austin feel good about the time and expense the City put into an issue that results in a .000153% complaint to loan ratio for Texas residents?  I live in Austin and things are tight budget-wise in this City, despite all the stories you hear about growth it has some problems that should be commanding the attention of city leadership other than the payday industry.

So here comes the next whammee – I was reading over the OCCC’s 1st quarter MSA report for 2017 and it says that 10 of the 2,200 reporting licensees generated 33% of the single payment loan volume, and get this, those 10 licensees were OUT OF STATE!  As far as installment loans go in Texas, 16 OUT OF STATE licensees funded over 37% of the 271,189 installment loan and refinance transactions in the 1st quarter of 2017.  Yes, these are out of state online lending companies who are licensed to do business in Texas but are not within the jurisdiction of any City.  That makes them free to let the market decide and boy did the market ever decide.  On either of the products mentioned – the out of state licensee group was the largest “market” in Texas.  The next biggest markets down were Houston and Dallas but it wasn’t even close to the out of state operators.  Check out the report for yourself below.

Here is a link to the MSA report: http://occc.texas.gov/sites/default/files/uploads/reports/cab-q1-msa-2017.pdf

Imagine if the Payday Loan City ordinance did not force the closure of all of those locations in Texas!  All of that businss would be taking place here in Texas.  Kudos to the online guys who are meeting the need but for obvious reasons we need to work to get those customers back!  I bet the OCCC wishes they had that extra $800,000 per year in licensing revenue.  And how about that $300,000 per year in contributions to the Texas Educational Endowment fund that is now lost?

The full ugliness of the Payday Loan City Ordinance is now beginning to show in the light.  Please pass this information along to your City Council the next time this issue comes up in your market – we are positioned to deliver the facts to them quickly and efficiently so that they can have the full story and move on to the next issue which will be much more meaningful, no doubt!

This blog post was written by Michael Brown, President of CAB Consulting and the Texas Organization of Financial Service Centers.  He can be reached at 214-293-8676, or Michael@CreditAccessBusiness.com.

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