Over Indebtedness

Unfair Lending Practices and Toxic Loans - Farid Aliyev (BEUC), Anne Fily (BEUC), Olivier Jérusalmy (EFIN-EU), Nadzeya Sasnouskaya (EFIN-BE)

December 2016 - European Financial Inclusion Network

Extract from the recommendations: 
• Banning foreign currency loans to borrowers who do not receive income or do not have no assets in that currency (e.g. French consumer law)
• Capping the consumer loans’ interest rates
• Banning teaser loans in which the borrower pays a very low initial interest rate, which increases after a few years; such loans try to entice borrowers by offering an artificially low rate and small down payments.
• Making lending via online marketplaces more secure A beginning could be a Commission consultation looking into risks related to online marketplace lenders. Such a consultation could help to identify loopholes in existing rules.
The results of this consultation could then be used to set up good market practices and develop basic security tools for consumers.