May 27th, 2007
resources on debt and predatory lending
In Debt We Trust: A documentary film about the debt industry in the United States and how it’s flushing most of us down the financial toilet. Includes analysis of credit card marketing to college students, the real estate bubble, check cashing storefronts, rent to own, payday loans, rapid refund loans, car title loans, and other loan scams, many of which target low-income communities of color. As social safety nets shrink, people with the fewest resources become more and more vulnerable to scams and exorbitant interest rates just to satisfy basic survival needs–while the ones at the top get richer and richer. Buy the DVD for $20 via the link above. More resources at Americans for Debt Relief Now.
“Challenging the Debt Industry: A Multimedia Resource for Media Literacy and Financial Education” is available through the end of June FREE to New Mexico residents from The New Mexico Media Literacy Foundation. They’ve got a grant; contact them and they’ll send you a copy completely gratis. It’s bilingual English/Spanish and includes a 38-minute video on college students and credit cards, payday loans, title loans and rent-to-own, media examples of industry manipulation, lesson plans & discussion guide. Especially great for educators and community groups.
