Skip to content

Donate Now!
  • HOME
  • TAKE ACTION
  • ABOUT
    • BOARD
    • STAFF
    • FINANCIALS & TRANSPARENCY
  • INITIATIVES
    • PREDATORY LENDING & FINANCIAL LITERACY
    • RETIREMENT SECURITY
    • MAXIMIZE DOLLARS TO THE CLASSROOM
    • FOOD TAX REPEAL
    • LOTTERY REFORM
    • INFRASTRUCTURE FUNDING REFORM
    • HEALTH CARE AFFORDABILITY
    • ADDRESSING THE JOBS CRISIS
    • SMALLER SCHOOLS
    • FULL-DAY KINDERGARTEN
    • STRATEGIC WATER RESERVE
    • RETHINK THE PRC
    • TITLE INSURANCE REFORM
    • INDIVIDUAL DEVELOPMENT ACCOUNTS
    • END PAY TO PLAY CORRUPTION
    • SCHOOL REFORM & PREKINDERGARTEN
  • EDUCATION REFORM
  • PUBLICATIONS
    • POLICY REPORTS
    • ANNUAL REPORTS
  • INTERNSHIPS
    • PAST INTERN BIOS
  • CONTACT
  • SUPPORT
    • ONLINE STORE

Publications

Cover
Policy Reports
2006 Report Cover
Annual Reports
Print Friendly, PDF & Email

Visit the Action Center!

Take Action

Sign Up for Email Updates



Twitter Feed

Tweets by @ThinkNewMexico

Facebook Feed

Comments Box SVG iconsUsed for the like, share, comment, and reaction icons
Think New Mexico
4 days ago
Think New Mexico

“The governor cannot leave this decision up to opponents of the bill for 36 percent rates,” said Fred Nathan, who heads Think New Mexico, a nonprofit public policy organization. “If she doesn’t believe it is acceptable for low-income New Mexicans to continue paying 175 percent interest rates on small loans, then she needs to give the reform bill a message and make it a part of her legislative agenda.”

www.santafenewmexican.com/news/legislature/governor-lawmakers-enable-predatory-lenders/article_85... ... See MoreSee Less

Link thumbnail

Governor, lawmakers enable predatory lenders

www.santafenewmexican.com

Storefront lenders have no incentive to lower the interest rate during discussions. Politicians must do it through force of law.
View on Facebook
· Share
Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linked In Share by Email
View Comments
  • Likes: 3
  • Shares: 1
  • Comments: 1

Comment on Facebook

This issue really makes me angry.

Think New Mexico
4 days ago
Think New Mexico

"Attempts to lower New Mexico’s annual interest rate cap on small loans – from 175% to 36% – came up short at last year’s legislative session, but backers are planning to try again during the 30-day session that starts this month.

New Mexico has had a colorful history with regulating the loan industry.

A previous 36% cap on loan interest rates was abolished by the Legislature in the 1980s amid high inflation, according to research done by the Santa Fe-based Think New Mexico, which has pushed for the lower rate cap to be reinstated." ... See MoreSee Less

Link thumbnail

Effort resumes to cap interest rates on small loans

www.abqjournal.com

Lawmakers seek consensus on bill that would lower limit of 175% to 36%
View on Facebook
· Share
Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linked In Share by Email
View Comments
  • Likes: 18
  • Shares: 4
  • Comments: 1

Comment on Facebook

Hell, 36% interest is over 3 times the amount considered usury, which I believe actually has Biblical origins. If Jesus were around today he would be beating the living shit out of bankers and overturning their tables (sabotaging their computers)

Think New Mexico
5 days ago
Think New Mexico

Great news: during a hearing yesterday before the House Appropriations Committee, Secretary Kurt Steinhaus told legislators that the Public Education Department is working to make personal finance education an integral part of the school curriculum from early grades through high school! ... See MoreSee Less

Great news: during a hearing yesterday before the House Appropriations Committee, Secretary Kurt Steinhaus told legislators that the Public Education Department is working to make personal finance education an integral part of the school curriculum from early grades through high school!Image attachment
View on Facebook
· Share
Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linked In Share by Email
View Comments
  • Likes: 16
  • Shares: 4
  • Comments: 3

Comment on Facebook

ALL legislators should be required to take and pass a personal finance course also. It is obvious that the NM legislature and governor know nothing about managing finances.

Yes!

That's awesome! I hope the predatory lending industry doesn't oppose this proposed legislation too.

Think New Mexico
6 days ago
Think New Mexico

We agree with the Albuquerque Journal that Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham and the legislature should prioritize these four important reforms for passage during the 2022 session:

"• Limit how much school districts can spend on administrative personnel. It’s imperative to enact permanent reform to direct more resources to the classroom — especially in light of the Yazzie/Martinez ruling calling for a more equitable education system.

• Add financial literacy to New Mexico education standards — allowing districts to offer a stand-alone course or offer it as part of an already-required course. Many of the state’s ongoing problems — high poverty, reliance on predatory lenders, low retirement savings — can be traced to low financial literacy.

• Repeal the state’s tax on Social Security benefits. This form of double-taxation forces too many N.M. retirees to struggle and potential transplants to look elsewhere.
...
• Finally, lower the cap on interest rates on small loans. It currently is a whopping 175%."

www.abqjournal.com/2459598/down-to-business-nm-legislators-need-to-focus-record-windfall-on.html ... See MoreSee Less

Link thumbnail

Editorial: Legislators should focus windfall on making our state's core government work

www.abqjournal.com

Last week the Legislative Finance Committee and the Governor's Office released dueling spendin ...
View on Facebook
· Share
Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linked In Share by Email
View Comments
  • Likes: 16
  • Shares: 1
  • Comments: 3

Comment on Facebook

i agree with all 4 too. I'm from Iowa where financial literacy has been required to graduate from high school for years and social security is not taxed by the state. We moved here because Steve's job as a surface water environmental scientist was more valued here than in Iowa and the temps never fall to 17 below zero.

Absolutely agree with every point!

Yes!

Think New Mexico
1 week ago
Think New Mexico

One hundred and ten years ago today, New Mexico became a state! ... See MoreSee Less

One hundred and ten years ago today, New Mexico became a state!
View on Facebook
· Share
Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linked In Share by Email
View Comments
  • Likes: 29
  • Shares: 12
  • Comments: 2

Comment on Facebook

Happy Birthday!

Ethan Alexander Baumgarn, remember celebrating the 100th here with us?

Load more

Instagram Feed

thinknewmexico
Great news: during a hearing yesterday before the Great news: during a hearing yesterday before the House Appropriations Committee, Secretary Kurt Steinhaus told legislators that the Public Education Department is working to make personal finance education an integral part of the school curriculum from early grades through high school! #newmexico #personalfinance #financialliteracy
One hundred and ten years ago today, New Mexico be One hundred and ten years ago today, New Mexico became a state! . #NewMexico #ThinkNewMexico #ThinkNM #NewMexicoTrue #NewMexicoLove #NewMexicoLife
We are pleased to welcome former New Mexico Chief We are pleased to welcome former New Mexico Chief Justice Judith K. Nakamura to Think New Mexico’s board! Judith retired last year after a distinguished 22-year career in the New Mexico judiciary, which culminated in her service as only the fourth woman to serve as Chief Justice in the New Mexico Supreme Court's 108-year history. She is the first member of the judiciary – as well as the first licensed hot air balloon pilot! – to serve on our board.
We are sorry to learn of the passing of Susan Hert We are sorry to learn of the passing of Susan Herter, a founding board member of @OurCommonCause and longtime resident of northern New Mexico, who served on Think New Mexico's board from 2008-2013. If you like the signature brilliant yellow color scheme that we use on all our mailings, Susan gets credit for recommending it.
If you are still making your end-of-year donations If you are still making your end-of-year donations, we wanted to let you know that Think New Mexico has received a 100 out of 100 rating from @CharityNav! This is the first time that Charity Navigator has provided ratings for small nonprofits (with annual incomes under a million dollars), and we are proud that our very first rating is a perfect score.
This great chart from Miranda Cyr at the Las Cruce This great chart from Miranda Cyr at the Las Cruces Sun-News shows that Texico has the highest paid teachers in New Mexico. We highlighted Texico in our 2017 report as a role model for improving student outcomes by maximizing the amount of its budget that it spends in the classroom. Texico receives the same level of per pupil funding as every other school district in the state. However, by streamlining its central administrative spending, it is able to spend more on teacher salaries and other classroom expenses that directly benefit students.
Bringing back the food tax would be bad policy for Bringing back the food tax would be bad policy for New Mexico, hitting low-income families three times harder than wealthier New Mexicans, and making our tax structure different from two-thirds of other states, including our neighbors in Arizona, Colorado, and Texas.
On this #GivingTuesday we hope you'll support the On this #GivingTuesday we hope you'll support the many hard-working nonprofits that are making New Mexico an even better place to live!
We are thankful for all of you who help us advocat We are thankful for all of you who help us advocate for public policy reforms that benefit all New Mexicans, as well as to our many supporters, who give us the opportunity to do this work we enjoy so much!
Congratulations to Think New Mexico's Education Re Congratulations to Think New Mexico's Education Reform Director Abenicio Baldonado on being selected to serve on the Public Education Department's Community Advisory Group! Abenicio says: "I'm proud to represent Think New Mexico and continue advocating for future education policies that benefit our greatest resource — students."
Thank you to everyone who submitted comments to th Thank you to everyone who submitted comments to the New Mexico Public Education Department in support of adding personal finance to the state's education standards, including several current high school students like Luke!
Last call for comments! Just over an hour left to Last call for comments! Just over an hour left to let the New Mexico Public Education Department know that you support adding personal finance to the state’s education standards, as 45 other states have already done. Visit our website to easily weigh in on this issue. “After spending 30 years in banking I lost count of the number of people I worked with who had little or no understanding of personal finance - and were in personal financial trouble because of it. With a small amount of education, those situations are almost completely avoidable. If the information is not provided in the home, then school is the place to receive it. In fact, school is the neutral and best place to receive this kind of information, as it is without any side emotions or demonstrations to the contrary.” – Anne Beckett, Youngsville, NM
Load More... Follow on Instagram
VISIT THE ACTION CENTER

Take Action!
GET UPDATES

Join!
CONNECT WITH US

SUPPORT OUR WORK

Donate Now!

© 2016 Think New Mexico

Organized Themes