Janice Shih is the director of the Low Income Taxpayer Clinic (LITC) at the Maryland Volunteer Lawyers Service (MVLS), the largest provider of pro bono legal services in the state of Maryland. She is a member of the Maryland State Bar Association Taxation Council, where she serves as the co-chair of the pro bono committee. Janice is also a member of the LITC Advisory Board for the Center for Taxpayer Rights as well as a vice-chair of the pro bono and tax clinics committee of the American Bar Association. Locally, Janice is a volunteer with CASH (Creating Assets, Savings and Hope) Campaign, the local VITA (Volunteer Income Tax Assistance) program.

Now that 2020 is firmly behind us, the staff of the Maryland Department of Labor’s Division of Occupational and Professional Licensing hopes you have a healthy and prosperous 2021. As we mark nearly a year of serious disruption to our lives due to the pandemic, we know that no one is immune to COVID-19’s lasting effects.

Besides our daily commitment to providing outstanding customer service, we aim to distribute information about any sources of help we can recommend to our licensees. The ongoing public health crisis has left many of us struggling to recover in every facet of our daily lives. Families have endured the loss of jobs and businesses or the reduction of wages and/or working hours. Savings accounts have been depleted. Many are struggling to pay for housing, debts, loans, education and medical care. Since the pandemic has impacted the financial standing of so many Maryland families, it may be useful for us to share some of the consumer services offered by our agency’s Office of the Commissioner of Financial Regulation (OCFR).

OCFR serves as Maryland’s consumer financial protection agency and financial services regulator. They are responsible for supervising certain businesses in the financial services industry to ensure compliance with laws and regulations, including mortgage lenders, mortgage brokers, mortgage servicers, mortgage loan originators, check cashers, money transmitters, consumer debt collection agencies, consumer lenders, installment lenders, sales finance businesses, credit services businesses, debt management companies, debt settlement companies, credit reporting agencies, and Maryland state-chartered banks, credit unions and trust companies. OCFR also has a Student Loan Ombudsman to support Maryland student loan borrowers.

OCFR provides resources to Maryland consumers and to the financial services businesses and individuals it regulates by providing timely guidance to industry, information on consumer protections, and investigating complaints of questionable business practices involving supervised financial service businesses operating in the state.

See below for links to resources on OCFR’s website, including resources for COVID-19 financial relief programs:

COVID-19 Consumer Resources
COVID-19 Industry Resources
COVID-19 Financial Relief Guide for Marylanders (pdf)
Maryland Student Loan Borrower Bill of Rights (pdf)
Maryland Student Loan Ombudsman (pdf)
What Account is Right for You? Account Ownership and Survivorship (pdf)
"Pay Day" Loans: What You Need to Know as a Maryland Consumer (pdf)
Debt Management Service Providers: What You Need to Know as a Maryland Consumer (pdf)
Check Cashing Services: What You Need to Know as a Maryland Consumer (pdf)
Reverse Mortgages: What You Need to Know as a Maryland Homeowner (pdf)
Foreclosure: What You Need to Know as a Maryland Homeowner (pdf)
Información para los propietarios de vivienda de Maryland (pdf)