Legislators from both parties have filed a bill that would cap interest rates for payday lenders.
Sponsored by Rep. Helene Keeley, House Bill 54 would cap the interest rate that could be charged for “alternative financial services” at an annual rate of interest of 100 percent. The bill is also sponsored by House Speaker Pete Schwartzkopf, Rep. Mike Ramone, Sen. Harris B. McDowell and Sen. Ernie Lopez.
Payday loans are small loans with a repayment period of less than 60 days. Many of the annual percentage rates commonly run in excess of 400 percent and can even reach more than 800 percent, as outlined in one recent Delaware Court of Chancery case.
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In that case, Vice Chancellor J. Travis Laster took the payday lending industry to task for its tactics. Keeley said the sponsors heard Chancellor Laster’s challenge in his decision and produced this bill.
“Payday loans are a stopgap fix for people’s financial problems. Unfortunately, we have seen time and time again that these lenders sometimes take advantage of people who are in a tough situation, saddling them with crushing debt that turns a small loan into a huge financial burden,” said Keeley, D-Wilmington South. “We took an important step forward in addressing repeated use of payday loans a few years ago, but some lenders have tried to circumvent that law. Capping the interest rate a lender can charge will provide stability, predictability and reasonableness to the payday lending system and protect the borrower.”
HB 54 also would prohibit lenders from using automated withdrawals on short-term loans for delinquency payments or accelerated default payments, and prohibit repeated attempts to make automated withdrawals for at least five days after a declined payment. This would prevent borrowers from being charged fees for overdrafts or declined withdrawals.
The bill would not apply to more traditional financial products offered by banks, credit unions, and credit card companies, as they already are regulated by state and federal law. Delaware’s traditional banking industry would not be affected by the bill.
In 2012, the General Assembly passed bipartisan legislation sponsored by Rep. Keeley that limits borrowers to taking out five payday loans of $1,000 or less in any 12-month period, including loan rollovers or refinancing.
HB 54 has been assigned to the House Economic Development, Banking, Insurance & Commerce Committee.
