A Houston businessman was arrested for wire fraud in relation to a fraudulent loan scheme, according to the United States Department of Justice.

HOUSTON – If you are a small business owner or you know someone who is, tell them about the Texas governor’s webinar Wednesday to give an update on recovery resources through the Small Business Administration like the Paycheck Protection Program. They will answer questions live during the online session today from 1 to 2 p.m.You don’t have to pay to participate, but you do need to register online because there is a maximum capacity of 10,000 attendees. What: Governor’s Small Business Webinar Series: Information on the New Round of PPP FundingWhen: January 27, 2021, 1-2 p.m.Where: Online WebinarAbout the Event:The Governor’s Small Business Team will host a webinar for Texas small business owners to provide an update on recovery resources through the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), specifically the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP). Our panel of experts will include senior executives from the SBA and Small Business Development Centers. They will explain the recent changes and provide up-to-date advice on the new round of PPP funding, loan forgiveness, the Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) and other important resources.

According to a study performed by WalletHub, Houston is the 8th most financially distressed city amid the coronavirus pandemic. Out of 100 cities across the U.S., Houston is among five Texas cities ranking in the top 10. Experts found Houston scored the worst in the “Debt” and “Loans” search interest indexes, ranking first in these categories. The study also found Houston was one of the worst cities with a share of people with accounts in distress and the average number of accounts in distress in November. Additionally, Houston fell in the middle, ranking 25th for average credit score in November.

That number of filings makes Oportun the most litigious personal loan company in Texas and one of the most litigious debt collectors in the state overall this year. But consumer advocates say the large number of lawsuits Oportun is filing raises the question: Under what circumstances are those repayments occurring? Oportun loan contract. Despite the near 67% interest rate in her clients loan, Oportun maintains that its average APR is 36%. Like Solis, several Oportun borrowers said the lawsuits against them came as a surprise.

HOUSTON – Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee is calling to expedite the release of funds for college students under the CARES Act. Khaniya Burley said she applied for the funds online on Monday, she said the application process at Texas Southern University was streamlined“It was very smooth, now it’s just a waiting game,” Burley said. According to Lee, Texas Southern University was awarded $11.79 million in CARES Act funding and has only received $5.89 million. She said that eligible students everywhere need access to the federal funds now and called for the process to be streamlined. “Move quickly to get these funds to these various institutions because our students need those dollars and our institutions need those dollars," she said.