Commercial Banking
Comptroller Thompson created a new division within his office to address some of the financial services concerns of New York City residents. Since its inception, the Commercial Banking Division has embarked on a number of programs that will enhance the economic vitality of the city’s communities and help city residents better understand financial services.
Banking Development District Program
Neighborhood banks can encourage and help to sustain economic development in the communities they serve. Unfortunately, there are communities in our City that either do not have a local bank or do not have a local bank branch with a sufficient deposit base to further the area’s economic development activity. As members of the New York City Banking Commission, the Mayor, the Comptroller and the Commissioner of Finance have established a Banking Development District program to authorize the deposit of City funds in bank branches located in Banking Development Districts. A BDD is an area that the New York State Banking Department has designated as under-banked. As with all City deposits, deposits at BDD branches will be fully collateralized to ensure their safety. The BDD program will permit the City to leverage its funds in a responsible manner to promote community development and the availability of community banking services.
Find out more about the BDD Program.
Comptroller’s Financial Literacy Program
To further support Comptroller Thompson’s initiative on community development, the Commercial Banking Division has partnered with various religious institutions and community organizations to organize city-wide conferences and seminars regarding financial literacy and financial products and services offered by banks. These conferences and seminars inform community residents of the many options available to them regarding banking products and services and also help mitigate potential predatory lending practices. Comptroller Thompson believes that the participation of our city’s leaders and community organizations has been instrumental in providing affordable housing, educational opportunities, small business development and job growth throughout New York City.
Predatory Lending
L earn how deceptive, or predatory lenders can mislead consumers into borrowing more than they can repay, and how to protect against this unscrupulous practice.
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PREDATORY LENDING
Have you received ads for home repairs—the ones that claim you can
obtain a loan to pay for new windows, kitchen or bathroom renovations, or to refinish your basement, all for just a few small, monthly payments? What those ads don’t tell you is that agreeing to one of these loans can put you at risk of losing your home.
Deceptive, or predatory, lenders use slick sales pitches to mislead homeowners into borrowing more than they can repay. Their loans are based on the equity in your home—not on whether you can afford the monthly payments once the loan’s hidden fees, excessive points, and high interest rates are added. The actual loan cost balloons so much that homeowners can fall behind on payments and risk losing their homes to foreclosure.
What You Stand To Lose
This scenario resonates with far too many New Yorkers who have fallen victim to unscrupulous predatory lenders. But abusive loan practices aren’t limited to home-improvement scams.
Some lenders offer to transfer high-interest credit card debt to another card with a significantly lower rate—but that rate is effective for just a few months. Within a short time, the rate rises to match or surpass what was paid for the original credit card. Undisclosed transfer fees and other service charges ultimately can cost thousands more.
How They Try To Hook You
Con artists use slick tactics to get people to lower their guard and sign on the dotted line. One company even issued a manual to teach its salespeople how to lure potential borrowers. It suggested establishing a common interest with customers and making them laugh, and instructed salespeople to evade questions about actual loan costs.
The pitches purposely fail to mention what’s hidden in the contract’s fine print, which can include obligating the homeowner to pay added charges for service, document fees or rising interest. What was understood to be a two-year, $2,500 loan can turn into a $40,000 debt, with escalating interest.
When borrowers contact the lender about payment notices that seem too high, they’re assured that “it all adds up in the end” or the loan will be “adjusted after a few months.” There are variations on these evasion tactics, but the purpose is the same: Prolong the deceit while interest piles up.
Who’s At Risk?
Elderly homeowners can be easy targets for con artists. Since many seniors have fixed or limited incomes, the loan’s harsh terms and hidden costs force them to fall behind on payments and the banks take their homes.
Predatory firms also pitch to people in low-income or minority neighborhoods whose homes need repair. They also target cash-poor, but equity-rich, homeowners, and people with high consumer or credit card debt, promising fast cash to meet their immediate needs.
How To Protect Yourself
If an unknown salesperson contacts you about refinancing your mortgage, taking out a loan against your home equity to pay for repairs, or transferring your credit card debt, it’s important to remember that reputable financial firms go out of their way to help customers understand their financial obligations. Be very suspicious of a firm that fails to offer a full explanation of the details of a loan or credit transaction.
Before you commit to any deal, keep the following in mind:
- Never agree to anything over the phone.
- Never sign loan documents under pressure.
- Take the time to carefully review the entire contract, or have a trusted and knowledgable family member, friend or an attorney do it for you.
- Never rely on a salesperson’s assurances. Ask for everything to be put in writing for your review. If the salesperson refuses, you’re probably being conned.
REMEMBER , if the deal sounds too good to be true, it probably is.
HELP IS AVAILABLE.
If you or someone you know needs help, contact:
The Community Action Center
Office of New York City Comptroller
William C. Thompson, Jr.
1 Centre Street , Room 835
New York , NY 10007
Phone: (212) 669-3916
24-hour hotline: (212) 669-4600
TTY (hearing impaired): (212) 669-3450
Toll-free (outside NY): (800) 800-6385
Fax: (212) 669-2707
E-mail: action@comptroller.nyc.gov
Website: www.comptroller.nyc.gov
New York City Department for the Aging
Information and referral line: (212) 442-1000
TTY (hearing impaired): (212) 442-3078
New York City information and services
Phone: 311
