Dr. Patricia Wolfe
Legal Affairs Correspondent
15+ years covering consumer lending
About Dr.
Dr. Patricia Wolfe covers the legal and regulatory landscape for TribalInstallmentLoans.com, with a specific focus on the doctrine of tribal sovereign immunity and how it applies — and doesn't apply — to consumer lending. Her articles walk readers through the arm-of-the-tribe test, the Military Lending Act's 36% APR cap, and the federal statutes (TILA, EFTA, FDCPA) that continue to govern tribal lenders regardless of sovereignty.
She is particularly attentive to rent-a-tribe arrangements and the warning signs consumers can use to distinguish a genuine tribal lending operation from a storefront using tribal affiliation as a regulatory shield.
Articles by Dr.
How to File a Complaint Against a Tribal Lender — and Stop Illegal Collection
Harassed by a tribal lender or collector? Your FDCPA rights, how to file a CFPB complaint, when to report to the FTC and your state attorney general, and what records to keep.
The Legal Framework of Tribal Lending
Sovereignty doctrine, which federal laws apply, how to spot rent-a-tribe schemes, and your rights as a borrower.
What Happens If You Can't Repay a Tribal Loan
The default cascade from missed ACH debit to collections, how to revoke ACH payment authorization, the sovereign-immunity double-edge, and why you can't be jailed.