Consumer Law Library
Truth in Lending Act (TILA)
Before you borrow, you have the right to know what it will truly cost.
What TILA requires
The Truth in Lending Act (15 U.S.C. § 1601 et seq.), Title I of the Consumer Credit Protection Act, and the CFPB’s Regulation Z require lenders to disclose the key terms and costs of credit clearly — including the annual percentage rate (APR), the finance charge, the amount financed and the total of payments — so you can compare offers.
Right of rescission
For certain loans secured by your principal home — such as refinances with a new lender and home equity loans, but not the loan used to buy the home — you have the right to cancel until midnight of the third business day after closing, delivery of the required notice, or delivery of the material disclosures, whichever is last. If the required disclosures or notice were never properly given, the right can last up to three years.
Credit card billing errors (Fair Credit Billing Act)
If you find a billing error on a credit card statement, send written notice to the card issuer’s billing-error address within 60 days after the statement was sent. The issuer must acknowledge it within 30 days and resolve it within two billing cycles (no more than 90 days). While it investigates, it can’t report the disputed amount as delinquent or try to collect it.
Credit CARD Act protections
The Credit CARD Act of 2009 added protections such as 45 days’ notice of significant changes, limits on raising rates on existing balances, and rules about how payments above the minimum are applied.
Remedies
TILA allows recovery of actual damages, statutory damages and attorney’s fees for many violations. Many claims must be filed within one year.
Sources: Truth in Lending Act, 15 U.S.C. §§ 1601–1667f, including §§ 1635, 1640, 1666; Regulation Z, 12 C.F.R. part 1026.
Put the law to work for your credit
Our free assessment shows you which of these protections apply to your reports.
