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3 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? e-edition | subscribe | newsletter | deals Home News Latest Stories LIFEArt plans to open gallery in Medford Since You Asked: New intersection won't be landscaped Emergency services, March 2 Ashland: Budget increase, swimming pool funding discussion on council agenda The new normal under climate change? Crime, Courts and Emergency Services Emergency services, March 2 Emergency services, March 1 Two injured in White City house fire Family, friends of Central Point fire victim try to cover costs Feds charge California couple with medical device fraud Politics and Elections Ashland: Budget increase, swimming pool funding discussion on council agenda Judge upholds Phoenix's moratorium on medical marijuana dispensaries Ballots on Jackson County marijuana tax go out Friday Brown's inauguration brings hope to local lawmakers Kate Brown sworn in as Oregon's 38th governor Education LIFEArt plans to open gallery in Medford MSD considers adding a health center at one of the city's high schools Absenteeism in Oregon schools prompts bill that would tie funding to attendance, not enrollment Territorial Seed contribution a boost for SOU food program 200-plus Jackson County students miss vaccination deadline Environment The new normal under climate change? 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Moffitt Ruby Beck Perkins Weather Photo Galleries Since You Asked Videos Web Cams Mail Tribune 100 Shareable Bank of America is predicting a massive Tesla collapse Mars One attracts science fiction geeks and people who hate society This $1 million Mercedes is like an armored private jet for the road Sports Latest Stories Ducks beat Cardinal, clinch Pac-12 tourney bye Kings Conquered Poulter, Casey share lead at Honda Oregon upsets No. 19 Stanford Kaminsky, No. 5 Wisconsin clinch Big 10 share Varsity 541 College Sports Ducks beat Cardinal, clinch Pac-12 tourney bye Oregon upsets No. 19 Stanford Kaminsky, No. 5 Wisconsin clinch Big 10 share Cal's big run tops OSU No. 7 Arizona overtakes No. 13 Utah Pro Sports Kings Conquered Poulter, Casey share lead at Honda Nadal wins first title in nearly nine months Rousey makes quick work of Cat Depleted Hawks beat Heat Community Sports Business Latest Stories Business Briefs: Feb. 28 People in Business: Feb. 28 Medford Fabrication isn't afraid to go big Ride & Drive: 2015 Audi R8 Blog: Friends Forever Real Estate News Housing prices climb 9 percent in Jackson County Big plans on the Butte Homes for the long haul People In Business People in Business: Feb. 28 People in Business People in Business Transportation Lodging gains bode well for travel industries Medford airport flies past January record Agriculture Warm winter has fruit growers poised for action Briefcase: Business briefs for Feb. 21 1-800-Flowers dumps Harry & David execs Opinion Latest Letters to the Editor, March 2 Letters to the Editor, March 1 Our View: Drawing back the curtain on government Dana Milbank: Jeb Bush, CPAC pinata Charles Krauthammer: The fatal flaw in the Iran deal Editorials Our View: Drawing back the curtain on government Other Views: Brown's list of challenges is lengthy Our View: School attendance bill could backfire Our View: Higher education still getting too little Our View: Adjusting for unintended consequences Letters to the Editor Letters to the Editor, March 2 Letters to the Editor, March 1 Letters to the Editor, Feb. 28 Letters to the Editor, Feb. 27 Letters to the Editor, Feb. 26 Columns Dana Milbank: Jeb Bush, CPAC pinata Charles Krauthammer: The fatal flaw in the Iran deal GUEST OPINION: Police, community should work to prevent profiling George Will: Two reading lessons from the Supreme Court Guest Opinion: Don't overregulate Oregon's hemp industry Guest Opinions GUEST OPINION: Police, community should work to prevent profiling Guest Opinion: Don't overregulate Oregon's hemp industry Guest Opinion: Predatory banking practices bilk citizens Guest Opinion: Is less education the answer? Guest Opinion: Bill would shore up legal aid funding Lifestyle Latest stories Home Help: Enhance your home-office experience Community blog: How I Became Radical: The Power of Acceptance Community blog: The Guest List: Check! Review: In "Much Ado," why not let Shakespeare be Shakespeare? Adopt a Pet: Moby Food Restaurant Inspections: Sunday, March 1 Community blog: Support local CSA farms by signing up Saturday Joanna McQuillan Weeks: Cheeseburger pie is the perfect winter comfort food Page H. Onorato: Hot dogs I have known and loved Season Stepp: Tips for roasting vegetables Home and Garden Home Help: Enhance your home-office experience Specialty painting adds wow to your walls Dear Monty: Home seller questions agent ethics Home Help: Low-maintenance landscaping ideas Garden Cameos: Winter is the time to prune Health Community blog: How I Became Radical: The Power of Acceptance Community blog: The Guest List: Check! Health Watch: Sticking to your health plan when your family isn’t helping Community blog: Finding Your Indomitable Spirit to Defeat Addiction Dr. Murray Feingold: ‘Beet’ high blood pressure with borscht Hiking Biking Faith Religion briefs, Feb. 27 Religion briefs: Friday, Feb. 20 Religion News: Pope makes surprise shantytown visit Religion briefs: Friday, Feb. 13 RELIGION BRIEFS, Feb. 6 Milestones and Achievements Anniversary: Hofer New arrivals: Sunday, Feb. 8 Columnist for a Day Rogue Healthy Aging Tempo Latest stories Ashland High School presents 'Leading Ladies' Live Music in Local Clubs HAPA plays the Historic Ashland Armory An all-new Rising Stars music competition kicks off this weekend Ronny Cox plays the Unitarian Fellowship Theater Review: OSF elevates the neglected 'Pericles' Review: In "Much Ado," why not let Shakespeare be Shakespeare? 'She Stoops' rises on SOU stage SOU presents 'She Stoops to Conquer' 'The Glass Menagerie' is polished and professional Music Ashland High School presents 'Leading Ladies' Rogue Valley Symphony showcases Anton Bruckner and Richard Wagner Live Music in Local Clubs HAPA plays the Historic Ashland Armory An all-new Rising Stars music competition kicks off this weekend Community Events Third Fridays showcases local artists Southern Oregon Rod and Custom Show Ashland's First Friday Art Walk showcases new exhibits by regional artists Jacksonville celebrates Chinese New Year Dining Restaurant Inspections: Sunday, March 1 Great Outdoor Grill offers healthful options Restaurant Inspections: Sunday, Feb. 22, 2015 Saigon Xich Lo Vietnamese cuisine The zwickels shall flow Tempo Videos Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » Obits Blogs TV Listings Movie Listings Oregon Outdoors Oregon Healthy Living Magazines/Special Sections Business Services NEWS NOW Get Up & Go: Monday, March 2 ... Our View: Drawing back the curtain on government ... Public Meetings: March 2-6 ... Get Up & Go: Monday, March 2 ... Our View: Drawing back the curtain on government ... Public Meetings: March 2-6 ... GUEST OPINION Guest Opinion: Predatory banking practices bilk citizens By Kathleen M. McNeill and Matthew Vorderstrasse MailTribune.com By Kathleen M. McNeill and Matthew Vorderstrasse Posted Feb. 27, 2015 @ 12:01 am By Kathleen M. McNeill and Matthew Vorderstrasse Posted Feb. 27, 2015 @ 12:01 am » Social News p bs:newslist StartDate="20121121" EndDate="p bs:datecalc Months="3"" DateSort="1" UseObjects="1" ObjectClass="81" Taxonomywords="2325,665" ExactTaxonomyMatch="1" Image="1" Count="4" --> Recently two local banks, U.S. Bank and Umpqua Bank, have settled large class action lawsuits regarding their practices related to the collection of bank overdraft fees. Although not admitting any wrongdoing, these banks have created settlement funds of $55 million and $2.9 million respectively in response to the lawsuits. These practices include overdraft fees that are frequently $35 per transaction, even if the overdraft is only $1. The lawsuits alleged that these banks were not posting transactions in chronological order, and were in fact posting transactions in an order that maximized the overdraft fees their customers had to pay. This is a predatory practice that can cause problems for the majority of people, but also can cause nearly irreparable damage for the vulnerable populations in our community. We have been privileged to work in the human services field, where we work to empower people living with mental illness to improve the quality of their lives. Much of our work involves advocacy to help people overcome the obstacles they encounter. Recently we attempted to assist an individual who has been diagnosed with multiple chronic mental health issues. He had admittedly mismanaged his finances over the past year, resulting in a financial crisis in which he was on the verge of being evicted from his apartment, thus becoming homeless, unable to pay his utilities or purchase his medications. As a consequence of the stress he was experiencing, his mental health was deteriorating and he became at increased risk for hospitalization. Upon further investigation, it became apparent that this crisis was due, at least in part, to predatory banking practices that resulted in his paying $1,900 over the past year in overdraft fees. The bank was taking his Social Security Disability checks to satisfy these fees. Efforts by the individual to close the account were denied by the bank due to their policies. Efforts to advocate with the bank to allow for at least partial release of this gentleman’s Social Security benefits in order to avoid homelessness were unsuccessful. Alternatively, other community resources to which many of us contribute were tapped to assist this person. The bottom line: The bank made a profit from this person’s situation but we all paid the price. Understandably, we are working with this individual on budgeting and financial management to ensure that this situation does not continue to occur, but what is more disturbing is the banking practices that pushed this situation much further than it ever needed to go and which inevitably force the community to respond to these situations. This situation also brought to light another aspect of related banking practices. Federal law prohibits the garnishing of Social Security checks to pay creditors (other than the U.S. government, but in that case the amount is limited to 15 percent of payments). The intent of this law is to protect the social safety net that Social Security was created to provide in the first place. In 2002, in the case of Lopez v. Washington Mutual, the 9th Circuit Court decided that banks could not use future deposits of Social Security payments to cover overdraft fees. Because of heavy legal pressures on the part of the banking industry, however, this ruling was overturned; banks have since been allowed to continue the practice, despite its being prohibited to other creditors. The Center for Responsible Lending, an advocacy group, has found that consumers heavily dependent on Social Security income pay $1 billion in overdrafts a year. This is a very troubling trend, especially given that Social Security beneficiaries, the elderly and disabled, are some of our most vulnerable citizens. In 2008 the Congressional Oversight Committee of the Office of the Inspector General of the Social Security Administration released a statement saying, “The ability of both banks and non-bank financial services providers (FSPs), such as payday loan and check-cashing companies, to access and assess fees against individuals' Social Security benefits exists purely as an as-yet unaddressed side effect of the advent of direct deposit.” Congressional action has been slow to respond to this issue, but as a community we can help to bring about change that will protect the disadvantaged and our community. Please contact your congressional representatives to insist that this situation be remedied as soon as possible to protect our vulnerable citizens and our community. Kathleen M. McNeill, Ph.D., a retired mental health professional, is a former clinical supervisor at Jackson County Mental Health. She is a member of the board of Compass House, a nonprofit organization serving the chronically mentally ill in Jackson County. Matthew Vorderstrasse is executive director of Compass House, chairman of the Jackson County Mental Health Advisory Committee and a member of the Rogue Retreat Board of Directors. By Kathleen M. McNeill and Matthew Vorderstrasse MailTribune.com By Kathleen M. 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