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Financial Services Law Insights and Observations

NCUA proposes additional payday loan alternative option

Agency Rule-Making & Guidance NCUA Payday Lending Federal Register Credit Union

Agency Rule-Making & Guidance

On June 4, the National Credit Union Administration (NCUA) published in the Federal Register a proposal to create a new payday alternative loan product (PAL II) in addition to the current payday alternative loan product (PAL I), which has been available since 2010. According to the NCUA announcement, the goal of PAL II is to expand access to safe and affordable short-term, small-dollar loans for consumers of modest means. PAL II would include most features of PAL I, with four changes: (i) eliminating a loan minimum while setting the maximum at $2,000; (ii) setting a term maximum of 12 months; (iii) eliminating the requirement for membership minimum length; and (iv) as long as the consumer only has one outstanding loan at the time, eliminating the time restriction on the number of loans a credit union can make to the borrower in a six month period.

The proposal also requests input on the potential features of a possible third option, PAL III, including lending restrictions, associated fees, and underwriting guidelines.

As previously covered by InfoBytes, the OCC recently issued a bulletin encouraging banks to offer short-term, small dollar installment lending.