C.A.B. Consulting and Brokerage — Texas Credit Access Business Resources

Some stores need deeper assessment and others do not because they are excellent performers.  Let’s look at one store and with the desire of loosening up in some areas where perhaps underwriting is too tight.   Dylan and Jeremy at Cashmax call it “turning a knob” or “moving a lever.” Let’s move a knob or lever with this one store and see what happens.

Doing an assessment and would love TOFSC opinions.  First, we are looking back at recent leads that have been sold through a lead buying network, what are others paying (we are going to assume it is a “FinTech”) for the leads they buy from you? After studying the sold lead what are your takeaways? If the smart FinTechs with all the “AI” and “Machine Learning and “Data” who own over half the Texas market are going for approvals with these customers who apply through you, then how can you learn from that and instead approve more for yourself versus letting go of potentially good paying customers?  See below for some key data points from three recent sold applicants.

$88 – Customer A:

No FT ran.

Online app – Google

Time at address: 5yrs

Time at bank: 2yrs

Bank: Bank of America

Time at employer: 7yrs

Employer: Filtration Group

Income: $6,594.77

**Customer was denied for having too many open loans and frequently being negative. He has loans out with Lend nation, Cash Store, Check n Go, TX Car Title & Payday, World Finance, Integrity Funding, and Easy Financial.

Comment: long time at address, bank, and employer, strong income over $6k, tons of loans out and the buyer did not care.  Also, did not care about account being so far in the negative. 

$83 – Customer B:

FT: 111

Online app – Google

Time at address: 2yrs

Time at bank: 2yrs

Bank: A+ FCU

Time at employer: 5yrs

Employer: Travis County

Income: $3,600 (per app)

Comment: customer was denied for having too many open loans. FT shows loans with a total of $4,508 in outstanding balance. On her banking it shows Credit Ninja ($700 borrowed on 09/14) and Cashnet ($800 borrowed on 08/03).

$18.50 – Customer C:

FT: 111

Online: Google

Time at address: 3yrs

Time at bank: 8yrs

Bank: United Heritage CU

Time at employer: 3yrs

Employer: HCA Healthcare

Income: $2,500 (per app but it was verified at $1660.91)

Comment: FT denied due to having too many open loans and too many loans in collections. FT shows 5 loans totaling $897 outstanding balance and 3 loans in collections. However, we cannot find any loans in her banking history.  Lower income and thus a lower sale amount.  But address, bank, and employer were in the same ranges as the other two customers above.  So, is the income the key factor here? Does that trump all other concerns?

Another one of our generous members shared his opinions on lead sales and how quoting lower first-time loan amounts can hinder growth”

“Typically, a loan selling for greater than $50.00 is auto approved with VERY little underwriting with Fintech. The issue you may run into is loan amount. The consumer most likely will not be interested in a loan less than $500, and sometimes the amount of fees will drive them away. But I would most definitely always reach out to them. Sometimes a local company makes them feel more comfortable, and you can close the deal. Regardless, a lead that sells for greater than $50.00 is a very good lead and most definitely worth your time to reach out.

Going further with the assessment: pull the last (3) months of denial reasons, break that out by month, by store.  Look at what the largest set of denial reasons is per store.  Perhaps loosen up in one of the largest areas of denial.  Maybe go one or two layers on the 2nd and 3rd most common denial reason and.  Loosen slightly implement the lever move with the lowest perceived risk.  Might that lever be “too many loans out” if the income is there? How far will you go on a negative balance?  Also, per the comments above, go back and look at the leads that have sold over the last (3) months over $50 to study again and see what patterns exist.   

Would love to hear from our clients, TOFSC members, and industry friends on this.   Send feedback where you can!

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On August 28th, CFSA and CSAT filed “Amended Complaints” that were focused on the payment provisions of the CFPB rule.  I read a thorough summary from Jeremy Rosenblum at Ballard Spahr.  This is some good stuff! I mean, who doesn’t love when someone uses the terms “arbitrary and capricious?  That’s when us laypersons really know there is some serious lawyer-ing going on!   

The amended complaints have some teeth which were good to see strike home and sink deep.  And, the inclusion of debit card debiting in the payments provision got its fair share of attention.  I for one hope that continues, maybe even gets put at the top of the list.  Without thinking deeply, I can say that if that facet were removed from the rule I would be breathing easily on the entire topic.  I know that others with a different business model may differ, but it is by far ours and our customer’s favorite payment method for convenience reasons, and also because it does not cause NSF charges if the payment returns.  It does not seem likely that the industry will have to “go live” with these provisions as they are now, by November.  There is still much to be worked though in this legal process which has been long and winding. With all of the questions at this point how can it be known what the rule will look like anytime soon?  Operators still need fair time to install the proper procedures and notifications and that window is now far too tight for a November go live date. 

 
See below for some takeaways from Jeremy’s blog post:

“Trade Groups File Amended Complaint In Texas Lawsuit Challenging CFPB Payday Loan Rule.

In the Amended Complaint, the plaintiffs (our industry) allege that the Rule violates both the Constitution and the Administrative Procedures Act (the APA).  Starting with the Supreme Court’s decision in Seila Law that the Director of the CFPB who adopted the Rule was unconstitutionally insulated from discharge without cause by the President.

The Amended Complaint argues that a valid Rule requires a valid notice and comment process from inception and not mere ratification of the final result by a properly serving Director.

It further asserts that ratification of the payment provisions is arbitrary and capricious because the payment provisions were based on a UDAAP theory expressly rejected by the CFPB in its revocation of the underwriting provisions of the Rule and the CFPB has failed to explain how a lender can commit a UDAAP violation, consistent with the theory of the revocation of the underwriting provisions, when the consumer is free to eschew a covered loan based on a generalized understanding of the risk of multiple NSF fees.

The Amended Complaint takes issue with the payment provisions based on a number of additional alleged infirmities, including the following:

The CFPB provided a lengthy period for the industry to comply with the original Rule but failed to provide any compliance period for the ratified Rule.  Thus, the current Rule differs from the original Rule it purports to ratify in a key respect.

The 36% APR trigger for covered installment loans is fundamentally at odds with the provision of the Dodd-Frank Act explicitly prohibiting the CFPB from establishing usury limits.

The alleged harms the payment provisions are designed to forestall are caused by the banks holding the consumers’ deposit accounts and not by the lenders who initiate payments declined due to insufficient funds.

The Bureau acted arbitrarily and capriciously in extending the payments provisions to multi-payment installment loans, where consumers have lengthy periods of time between installments to respond to failed payment-transfer attempts (and where, we would note, consumers are already free under the Electronic Funds Transfer Act to decline to authorize loan payments through recurring electronic fund transfers).

The Bureau also acted arbitrarily and capriciously in extending the payments provisions to debit and prepaid card transactions, where failed payment-transfer attempts typically do not, if ever, result in fees.  (We have repeatedly expressed the view that this key aspect of the Rule is indefensible.)

The CFPB evidence supporting the payment provisions was insufficiently robust and reliable, especially with respect to storefront and installment loans since the CFPB relied upon evidence about online single-payment loans.

The timing requirements for notices under the Rule arbitrarily prevent consumers from scheduling earlier payments.

The CFPB did not consider whether enhanced disclosures could have adequately prevented the perceived consumer injuries.

We believe that the Amended Complaint represents a powerful attack on the payment provisions of the Rule.

We have only one point we would emphasize to a greater extent:  There is no apparent link between the UDAAP problem identified in Section 1041.7 of the Rule—consumers incurring bank NSF fees for dishonored checks and ACH transactions after two consecutive failed payment transfers—and the burdensome notice requirements in Section 1041.9 of the Rule.

To our mind, these elaborate notice requirements are arbitrary and capricious for this further reason.”

Here is a link to the article – thank you Ballard Spahr! https://www.consumerfinancemonitor.com/2020/08/31/trade-groups-file-amended-complaint-in-texas-lawsuit-challenging-cfpb-payday-loan-rule/

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Tax Prep Season is here let’s get after it!

January 9, 2020

We are nearing the end of the Holiday Season’s high demand period that coincides with the beginning of Tax Season.  Many CAB Consulting clients and TOFSC Members offer Tax Preparation services, and some will be doing it for the first time this year.   I know many who are ready to get after it so let’s […]

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OCCC set to report to Finance Commission Friday

December 18, 2019

The OCCC is all set to report to the Finance Commission this Friday, December 13th.  Below for the key take-aways for CABs offerring payday, installment, and title loans in Texas.  The report will compare September-October 2018 vs. 2019.  The Septermber-October 2019 part of the OCCC “fiscal year to date 2020”). ·         Examinations are down across the […]

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OCCC is having a special stakeholder meeting on the questions posed to the Attorney General recently about CSO’s.

December 3, 2019

See below for a recent email sent out to OCCC stakeholders: “On December 9, 2019, at 2:30 p.m., the OCCC will hold a stakeholder meeting on credit services organizations and attorney general opinion KP-0277. A stakeholder meeting notice is available at: https://occc.texas.gov/publications/attorney-general-opinions. On this webpage, click the link labeled “Stakeholder Meeting Notice.” The meeting notice provides […]

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Helping Green Dot and other pre-paid card holders get funded on loans…good or bad idea?

November 21, 2019

Lending to Green Dot Card Customers – is this a good or bad idea?  Many feel these and other pre-paid card accounts carry too much risk because the card holders are not as “married” to the card versus the commitment assumed is had with a traditional bank with local branches.  We had one TOFSC member […]

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Keeping an eye on FinTech Lending

November 15, 2019

Why should Texas CABs keep an eye on FinTech Lending?  We need to watch and learn, let’s evolve our businesses by watching their successes and failures.  Where you can, implement their techniques that work, into your CAB’s capabilities! Think marketing, underwriting, process flow, etc.. These recent OCCC MSA report statistics show that FinTech now owns the […]

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OCCC will be reporting to the Finance Commission Friday, October 18th.

October 22, 2019

The quarterly Finance Commission Meeting will be this Friday, mostly information will be reported for September to August 2018 vs. 2019…that is their fiscal year. OCCC will report that: ·         Examinations were down in 2019, went from 638 to 475. ·         CABs went to the bottom in terms of acceptable level of compliance…due to lower examination volume.  […]

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What is a FinTech really? Be one.

October 7, 2019

Seems like over the last year that the industry buzzword has been “FinTech.”  According to BuiltIn.com “”Fintech” is a portmanteau (combination of two words to create a new one) of financial” and “technology.”  It is the application of new technological advancements to products and services in the financial industry.” For those of us in business […]

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The “Lend 360” Conference is coming up in Dallas on the 25th here are the summary details.

September 24, 2019

The “Lend 360” Conference is coming up in Dallas, September 25-27.  Since it is in our back yard versus Florida or California wanted to discuss it a bit and give you some information for you to better decide on whether you will or will not attend.  Many of our vendor and TOFSC sponsor companies will be […]

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AOC and Bernie get slam dunked over their anti-payday loan act.

AOC and Bernie get slam dunked over their anti-payday loan act.

by The CAB Man Texas on May 24, 2019

Chris Talgo, a columnist at Townhall.com did a phenomenal job on his recent column regarding Bernie Sanders and AOC’s Loan Shark Prevention Act.  I would say he slam dunked the pair’s “Act” quite nicely.  Within the piece, several hard-hitting facts & statistics were used to counter many assertions made by the two in their recent video roll out of the Act.  

Bernie was quoted as saying “Under the legislation we are introducing today, we would establish a national usury rate to make sure that no bank or store in America could charge an interest rate higher than 15 percent.”   36% would be a killer for the payday industry, 15% would take down the credit card business and many banks.  Socialists… 

Chris Talgo wrote that “it is true that some creditors, such as payday lenders, charge high interest rates. However, these moneylenders are simply filling a niche (and desired) role in the market. For those who have a history of not repaying loans (high-risk borrowers), payday lenders are willing to provide credit. In turn, because it is very likely a large number of these high-risk borrowers will not repay their loans, payday lenders charge more interest to mitigate the increased risk they assume. In other words, there’s a good reason why payday lenders charge higher rates, and it’s not because they are greedy.”  

A 2016 CFSA report was cited that found “Over nine in ten borrowers agree that payday loans can be a sensible decision when consumers are faced with unexpected expenses. … Nearly all borrowers (96%) say the payday loans they have taken out have been useful to them personally, with two-thirds (66%) saying they have been very useful. … Moreover, borrowers are likely to recommend payday loans to friends and family (75%) and support allowing other regulated lenders to offer payday loans (78%).”

Here is another finding that Mr. Talgo shared: According to the Fordham Journal of Corporate & Financial Law, payday lenders have an average profit margin of 3.57 percent. To put this in perspective, the average profit margin is 7.9 percent for all U.S. companies.”

Mr. Talgo pointed out that “aside from the fact they are woefully wrong on the merits of moneylending, Sanders and Ocasio-Cortez’s bill would do irreparable damage to the borrowing prospects of those with poor credit scores, the very constituency they are supposedly trying to help. Ample research shows payday lenders (and other so-called “usury institutions,” as defined by Sanders and AOC) have increased household welfare.”  

Another hard hitting fact in the column was that “According to a report by the New York Federal Reserve, “in states with higher payday loan limits, less educated households and households with uncertain income are less likely to be denied credit, but are not more likely to miss a debt payment.”

And to add to the slam dunk fest, it was stated that a study titled “Restrictions on Credit: A Public Policy Analysis of Payday Lending,” found “no empirical evidence that payday lending leads to more bankruptcy filings, which casts doubt on the debt trap argument against payday lending.”

Great job Chris Talgo and thank you for taking up the argument with rock solid numbers.  Here is a link to the column:

https://townhall.com/columnists/christalgo/2019/05/15/aoc-and-bernie-jump-the-shark-with-loan-shark-prevention-act-n2546379

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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Submit your comments to the CFPB by May 15th

Submit your comments to the CFPB by May 15th

by The CAB Man Texas on May 3, 2019

CFSA has been urging industry stakeholders to submit a comment letter to the CFPB regarding the  “CFPB Rule Proposal to Reconsider the 2017 Payday Lending Rule.”  

Again, right now the CFPB ATR and Payment Provisions are on hold which is referred to as a “stay.” 

See below for what CFSA is saying we need to do, go for it!

Submit Your Comment by May 15


 The CFPB has issued a 
“Payday Reconsideration” Notice of Proposed Rule Marking and “NPRM,” which seeks comment on whether it should rescind the mandatory underwriting provisions of its 2017 Final Rule. The Payday Reconsideration NPRM has a deadline of May 15 to receive public comments.

CFSA appreciates and supports the CFPB’s proposal to revisit and rescind the mandatory underwriting requirements that were finalized in its 2017 Final Rule for small-dollar lending. From our perspective, the 2017 Rule was a needlessly complex and overbroad proposal that would have caused irreparable harm to industry businesses and eliminated an important form of credit to consumers. At the same time, we remain concerned that the payment provisions, which are contained in the same 2017 Rule, are also not being revisited in this current rulemaking proposal.

At this time, we ask CFSA members to submit comment letters during this rulemaking comment period.
 
To assist our members, and to better ensure a consistent message, CFSA offers a detailed outline with sample themes and messaging that can be used to draft a company (or individual) comment letter.  Here is the link:

https://gallery.mailchimp.com/24e3495ba138af4c830a9e396/files/20d6e1e1-ae11-470f-a3d7-9f9b880d351e/20190325_CFPBNPRM2019_NPRMPaydayReconsideration_CompanyComment_ShortOutline.pdf

Once you have a comment prepared, here’s some information on how to submit it to the government:

Your comment must be received by the government on or before Wednesday, May 15, 2019, at 11:59 pm eastern time. 
 

Be sure to identify the Docket No. CFPB–2019–0006 at the beginning of your company’s comment letter. 
 

You can file your comment letter one of three ways:

Electronic Submission via Regulations.gov at:

https://www.regulations.gov/document?D=CFPB-2019-0006-0001

Email to:

2019-NPRM-PaydayReconsideration@cfpb.gov
 

Mail/Hand Delivery/Courier to Address:
Comment Intake
Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection 
1700 G Street, NW 
Washington, DC 20552

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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Credit Access Business License Application Documents released by O.C.C.C.

Credit Access Business License Application Documents released by O.C.C.C.

by The CAB Man Texas on October 31, 2011

The O.C.C.C. has released the Credit Access Business License! Looks as though it may have been posted online on Saturday, October 29th.  Laurie Hobbs just sent  out an email to the stakeholders this morning so perhaps there were a few more details to square away prior to today.

The printed forms are 12 pages total, comprised of 8 parts.  See below:

  • CAB Instructions and Checklist
  • CAB Application Form for New License or Transfer of License
  • Schedule A: CAB Branch Location(s) Application
  • Schedule B: Disclosure of Third-Party Lender Organizations
  • Schedule C: Personal Information, Affidavit, and Questionnaire
  • Schedule D: Additional Requirements
  • Schedule E: Personal Financial Statement
  • CAB Consent Form

I am in the process of reviewing the Application documents and will provide more feedback soon.  You can access the information by going to: http://www.occc.state.tx.us/pages/industry/CAB/Forms.html

If you have any questions, as always feel free to reach out to Michael Brown via phone at 214-293-8676, or email at cabconbrokerage@gmail.com.

 

 

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CFPB fines Money Tree – a good reminder

CFPB fines Money Tree – a good reminder

by The CAB Man Texas on December 27, 2016

Although we are all hopeful the proposed CFPB rule will unravel in the near future, the CFPB action against Moneytree is a good reminder that we can at any time be examined by the CFPB in the same way that the OCCC can show up at our stores at any time.

Specific to this particular action was collections and advertising.  The information on www.CFPB.gov stated that there were “deceptive online advertisements and collections letters.” And that “the company also made unauthorized electronic transfers from consumers’ bank accounts.”

CFPB has ordered the company to cease its illegal conduct, provide $255,000 in refunds to consumers, and pay a civil penalty of $250,000.

What did the CFPB say Moneytree did wrong?

§  “Used deceptive online ads: In early 2015, Moneytree ran advertisements online offering to cash consumers’ tax refund checks for “1.99.” The actual fee for the service was 1.99 percent of the amount of the check cashed, rather than $1.99, as the company’s advertisements implied. Consumers were required to visit one of Moneytree’s physical branches to take advantage of the advertisement’s offer, which appeared online tens of thousands of times.”

§  “Deceptively told consumers their vehicles could be repossessed: From late 2014 through early 2015, Moneytree mailed letters to hundreds of consumers indicating that their vehicles could be repossessed if they did not make past-due payments on their installment loans. But none of these consumers had loans secured by their vehicles, and Moneytree had no right or ability to repossess them.”

§  “Withdrew money from consumers’ accounts without authorization: Moneytree failed, in over 700 instances, to obtain pre-authorization from consumers for withdrawals from their bank accounts, in violation of federal law.”

What are the take-aways?

Advertising:  As an owner of your business ALWAYS read the final proof of all advertising and distribute the policy on a campaign in writing to your team, communicate the policy verbally as well so that emphasis can be made in areas where necessary.   Think critically about how a statement can be interpreted on your advertising materials, ask yourself “If a regulator who wants me out of business reviews this how else could this advertising copy be interpreted to be accurate or to be misleading?”

Collections:   I am not sure if this was an error or if it was intentional that Moneytree sent letters to debtors saying they were going to repossess their vehicles if they did not pay their unsecured loan off.  I am going to assume that this was an error I really have not met anyone in the last (5) years of consulting that would do that kind of thing intentionally.  As an owner of your business make sure to review and approve collections letters as they go out.  Collections (and in particular repossession) is a risk laden mine field on the regulatory front.  There are too many instances of fines occurring due to internal error in Collections not to make sure you keep an extra close eye on this crucial part of every business.

ACH or Debit Card authorizations: Everyone must get an ACH or debit authorization for every transaction.  Only debit the amount(s) due per the agreement and payment amounts must match what is on the payment schedule.  Most know this, but often times the employees get bogged down or too busy and these errors occur.  An automated e-sign process helps this as signature lines are less likely to get missed.  If you do not have the authorization signed, it could be deemed “illegal.”

Link to story: http://www.consumerfinance.gov/about-us/newsroom/cfpb-takes-action-against-moneytree-deceptive-advertising-and-collection-practices/

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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CFPB action against Cash America

CFPB action against Cash America

by The CAB Man Texas on November 20, 2013

Pretty big news coming from CFPB and Cash America today, $19 million in refunds and fines laid down on Cash America. $5 million of the $19 million is penalty and the remainder will be refunds of fees paid by consumers.

Cash America apparently violated some debt collection rules and also had some improper internal behavior where they were attempting to hide information from CFPB. I believe most of the activity occurred in Ohio.

This is the first major action by the CFPB and a number of papers across the United States are featuring the story. I would recommend that we all stay on top of the CFPB topic. I watch them out of the corner of my eye and know it could be a major concern in the future.

Here’s a link to the article on the front page of The Dallas Morning News: http://www.dallasnews.com/

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Sunset process continues with the OCCC next up is the Stakeholder Meeting to discuss rule amendments.

Sunset process continues with the OCCC next up is the Stakeholder Meeting to discuss rule amendments.

by The CAB Man Texas on May 20, 2019

Laurie Hobbs at the OCCC sent out an email to industry “Stakeholders” on Tuesday regarding the continuation of the Sunset process at the OCCC.  Next up is the Stakeholder Meeting to discuss rule amendments.  See below for OCCC’s comments on what will be done and how you can participate.

  • “OCCC would like to inform us of a Sunset Bill / Rule (HB 1442) pre-comment draft that the agency plans to discuss at the upcoming Stakeholder Meeting on Thursday, May 23, 2019, at 2:00 p.m. 
  • The stakeholder meeting relates to the May 14 pre-comment draft of rule amendments to the OCCC’s licensing and administration rules. 
  • The amendments are intended to implement HB 1442’s licensing and administrative provisions by: clarifying provisions on license term, renewal, and expiration for OCCC licensees and registrants; specifying procedures for how the OCCC processes consumer complaints; and specifying procedures for appealing the denial of a debt cancellation agreement.
  • Stakeholders are invited to attend the meeting in person at the Finance Commission Building.
  • Informal precomments on the OCCC’s May 14 draft of licensing and administration rules must be received by 5:00 p.m. on Wednesday, May 29, 2019.”

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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Payday Loan Boot Camp Sessions are underway!

Payday Loan Boot Camp Sessions are underway!

by The CAB Man Texas on July 16, 2012

Recently I joined up with Jer from Tri-House and Danny from Paid 2 Day to offer the “Payday Loan Boot Camp.”  These sessions are held in Orange County, California and are conducted in both a store and classroom environment.  The intent of the Payday Loan Boot Camp is to share important knowledge, direct startups on how to get their businesses started the right way, and to provide actual direction on how to run the business day to day.  Existing operators might want to consider sending new hires to the Boot Camp to let it serve as part of their training.

The Boot Camp gives operators the chance to un-plug from the everyday grind and really focus on what we are there to deliver.  Themes of the Boot Camp revolved around these essentials: Knowledge, Insight, Manuals, Regulations, Licensing, Documentation, and Hands-On instruction.

Day 1 of our first Boot Camp was last Thursday.  We focused on a high level view of the industry along with development of company startup strategy based on its market.   Day 2 was centered around operating the business, software, processing transactions, and “live store” activity.

Once we have established our relationship through the Boot Camp process, you will also always be able to count on follow up consultation as needed.

This Camp has been shaped for the Payday Loan startup, but we are also planning other focused camps for Auto Title loan education and instruction, and Texas CAB compliance.  If your organization could benefit from these kinds of sessions, or if you have some other specific company goals you would like custom delivered in the Boot Camp setting please contact Michael Brown at CAB Consulting and Brokerage at 214-293-8676 to discuss!

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Snapshot on the progress of a five-location retail chain’s Search Engine Marketing Campaign after six months.

Snapshot on the progress of a five-location retail chain’s Search Engine Marketing Campaign after six months.

by The CAB Man Texas on May 10, 2019

For the benefit of those who read our posts we are sharing a snapshot on the progress of a five-location retail chain’s Search Engine Marketing Campaign after six months.  This particular business offers cash advances and title loans in the Central Texas area.  What do you think?  Is it doing well with SEO? Room for improvement?  How about your title loan or cash advance business?  Is it doing better or worse?  

The results shared here are what will net a business 148 online applications in one month which was the actual April 2019 total.  It could and probably will be higher in future months because this time of year traditionally is the lowest in demand.  That being said, right now this cash advance and title loan business is achieving some of its best results since starting the SEO campaign in late September 2018. 

The SEO team at Hearst Media Services, 
https://hearstdms.com/localedge/tofsc (contact Ahmed Khalaf and team!) is handling this campaign and provides monthly reports that summarize where the business is at in a number of ways, what changes are made by them for you to improve, etc. 

Statistics that were reported for April:

·         43,000 impressions.

·         588 clicks.

·         148 online applications.

·         Online traffic has increased 20% since starting the SEO campaign in September 2018.

·         Cost broke out to $6.35 per lead generated.

What are the top sources of traffic?

70% Google, 20% is from actual entry of the website address, 2% Yelp, 2% Facebook, the rest was “others.” 

Comment: No surprises there, Google is king, and everyone needs to max out on this search engine every way they can! Yelp is proving to be a good source too, check them out directly.

What pages are visitors entering on?

Home, then contact us, across the board. Big drop off after that. 

CommentThis tells us site visitors check out the business online, get a feel for it, then look for a phone # to call and get a live person.

What cities are generating organic traffic?

Top 10: Austin, Dallas, Abilene, Houston, San Antonio, Waco, Round Rock, Pflugerville, New Braunfels, San Marcos. 

CommentStrange to see Dallas and Houston pop up in these stats as the business is not located in those cities.

What search terms are leading customers to the website?

Top 10: Title loans, car title loans, Star of Texas, Title loan, Car title loan, Star loans, Auto title loans, Installment loans company, Installment loans Texas, Title loan near me.

CommentSurprised that cash advances was not at least half of the top six results here. Not understanding why title loans was so popular.  Is the website more optimized to title loans versus cash advances?

For more information on the topic of SEO for your cash advance, payday loan, or title loan business, feel free to reach out to Michael Brown at the contact below, and to get in direct contact with the real experts call Ahmed Khalaf at 716-541-4174, or email him at akhalaf@hearst.com.

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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El Paso City Council Ok’s City Attorney to Draft Ordinance

El Paso City Council Ok’s City Attorney to Draft Ordinance

by The CAB Man Texas on December 7, 2012

Yesterday in El Paso, the City Council unanimously voted to proceed with enacting an ordinance to regulate Payday and Auto Title Loan businesses. The Council asked the City Attorney to draft the ordinance and it could be approved by January. This will be the 4th such ordinance in Texas, if it is ultimately put into effect.

As of today we know of ordinances in Dallas, San Antonio, and Austin. I believe that each of the cities are entangled in legal proceedings brought against them by CAB’s.

Some of the details of the proposed El Paso ordinance are:
• Require lenders to provide borrower’s with financial counseling information.
• Payday loans would not be allowed for more than 20% of the borrower’s monthly income.
• Auto Title Loans would be limited to 3% of the borrower’s annual income.
• Auto Title Loans would also be limited to no more than 70% of the vehicle value.
• Installment loans would be limited to no more than 4 installments, refinances would be limited to 3.
• CAB’s would be asked to register with the City of El Paso.
• Would go into effect in July 2013.

It is curious that the effective date is July 2013. I am thinking that the City of El Paso knows that there will be activity in the Texas Legislature regarding CAB operating rules and city ordinances. Consider the additional compliance burdens on licensed CAB’s with locations in cities with ordinances. Is it reasonable to ask any business to manage compliance to Federal, State, and now City regulations too?

As an industry, we need to dig our heels in on the local ordinances. 2012 has been a good year for CAB’s under the new licensing and we have demonstrated our good faith, desire to operate legally and fairly. Let the State of Texas handle this and keep the cities out of it. The Texas Finance Commission has expressed its position on the ordinances, and they indicated that an improvement on this problem was needed. So, it is my opinion that the version of the El Paso ordinance that was unveiled may not make it to July 2013. Something different might end up being put in place, or perhaps nothing at all after the session.

If you are interested in learning more, I am working with my contacts in El Paso and Austin to gather additional information on how to play a part in the fight against the ordinances. Will know more soon, the session starts next month and the El Paso bill is slated to be formally introduced on December 19th.

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