Paul Kiel
Paul Kiel covers business and consumer finance for ProPublica.
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Paul Kiel covers business and consumer finance for ProPublica.
In recent years, he’s focused on the U.S. tax system. The Secret IRS Files, which involved a team of ProPublica reporters, revealed key ways the ultrawealthy avoid taxes. Before that, he worked on The TurboTax Trap and Gutting the IRS investigations.
Past areas of focus included the foreclosure crisis, high-cost lending, the use of lawsuits to collect consumer debts, and the consumer bankruptcy system.
He has won numerous awards, including the Selden Ring Award, a Gerald Loeb Award, a Barlett & Steele Award, a Scripps Howard Award twice, a Hillman Prize, and a Philip Meyer Award from Investigative Reporters and Editors.
His work has appeared in several newspapers, including The Washington Post and The New York Times. He has also produced stories for National Public Radio and American Public Media’s Marketplace, as well as appeared on This American Life.
Doubts About Independent Foreclosure Review Spread
Evidence emerges that the largest banks might be influencing the determination of who was victimized by their own practices.
Is BofA’s Foreclosure Review Really Independent? You Be the Judge
Bank of America and federal regulators say the Independent Foreclosure Review is just that — independent. But documents and interviews indicate it's not.
Foreclosure Fail: Study Pins Blame on Big Banks
A study by government and academic researchers finds that approximately 800,000 homeowners missed out on mortgage modifications because of big banks' poor performance.
The Bailout: By The Actual Numbers
While Democrats paint a glowing picture of the bailout, our Bailout Tracker database tells the whole story. A look at the biggest losses and gains stemming from the TARP and Fannie, Freddie bailout.
Big Foreclosure Compensation, But Only for the Right Wrongs
Last month, the government released information on the compensation victims of the banks’ foreclosure practices might receive. For homeowners, it turns out that it’s crucially important just how the bank messed up.
Guiding You Through the Govt's Foreclosure Compensation Maze
The government promises that harmed homeowners will get compensated —but its programs are confusing. We help navigate them.
Billion Dollar Bait & Switch: States Divert Foreclosure Deal Funds
Under the foreclosure settlement with big banks, states got $2.5 billion to help homeowners. But a comprehensive, state-by-state breakdown shows that almost a billion is going to general use.
Where Are the Foreclosure Deal Millions Going in Your State?
We contacted every state to see how they are spending the money they received from the foreclosure settlement. Here’s the most comprehensive breakdown available anywhere.
Excerpt: At Goldman Sachs Servicer, 'Total Disaster'
An employee at a mortgage servicer that was owned by Goldman describes the internal chaos that harmed thousands of homeowners and undermined the government's flagship foreclosure prevention program.
The Great American Foreclosure Story: The Struggle for Justice and a Place to Call Home
The story of how one woman went from a three-bedroom home to a tent is the story of how America ended up in a foreclosure crisis that still drags down the economy.