The Latest Financial News
Choking Off Native American Economic Development
“It’s time for Congress to work with the administration to put an end to Operation Choke Point and restore the justice and opportunity to which all Americans — Native and otherwise — are entitled.”
Washington Post: Tribal Lending Helps Consumers
This article originally appeared in The Washington Post. The March 2 front-page article “Tribes’ bet on high-interest lending comes with uneasy feelings” omitted the fact that tribally owned businesses are regulated, geared toward customer satisfaction and take...
The Blaze: Native Americans Say Obama Program Is Hurting Their Businesses and Is an Affront to Tribal Sovereignty
A Native American group contends a controversial Obama administration program is harming online businesses that are critical to funding tribal governments, and at the same time violating tribal sovereignty.
Operation Choke Point is run through the Department of Justice and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation and targets how banks handle accounts with certain industries the agencies consider high-risk, including the gun industry, payday or short-term lenders, porn shops, casinos, coin dealers, check cashers and debt collectors.
Featured Resources
Our Digital Financial Literacy Program
Too many consumers mismanage their budgets, make poor investment decisions, and fail to properly plan for the future. NAFSA is committed to empowering people with the skills they need to change this trend and thrive financially. NAFSA’s Financial Literacy Program offers an assortment of digital modules covering a wide variety of financial topics, including building emergency savings, mortgage education, and retirement planning.
Tribal Online Lending Best Practices
NAFSA has developed Best Practices for the exclusive use of all NAFSA Members as it relates to their Tribal Online Lending businesses. We believe these Best Practices will help ensure consumer protection, quality service, and positive customer and industry interactions during the life of the loans made by tribal lending entities who are NAFSA members. Our Best Practices apply to all stages of the loan, including marketing, origination, servicing, collecting, and ongoing data privacy.
The Impact of Tribal Financial Services
Coming from a history of staggering unemployment rates, limited opportunities, and lack of access to fundamental resources, Native American tribes began online lending businesses to create real change for the future. Internet commerce has been a vehicle for supporting economic growth, tribal services, and tribal development. These are their stories.
Why NAFSA?
There are more than 570 federally-recognized tribes in the United States, many of whom are spread across in diverse areas. This has left a need for other tribal economic development opportunities to create sustainability and jobs on Native American reservations.
Tribal Financial Services:
Create jobs & economic development on tribal lands
Increase the financial independence of tribes
Deploy sovereignty & bolster tribal self-determination
Our Mission
To advocate for tribal sovereignty, promote responsible financial services, and provide better economic opportunity in Indian Country for the benefit of tribal communities.
To protect and preserve the sovereignty of Native American tribes while offering an unprecedented opportunity for tribal economic growth
Growing opportunity for Indian Country in the financial services industry
Advancing financial literacy in tribal communities
