CRT Onlus Lifeboat – Anti-Usury Foundation has been fighting the phenomenon of usury in Piedmont and Aosta Valley since 1998, offering free advice with the help of around 50 volunteers and 10 advice centres throughout the area. It also provides free guarantees to partner banks for granting low-interest loans to households and small businesses that are in a financial and economic situation where the likelihood of usury is high. Since its inception, the Lifeboat has provided 15,101 free counselling sessions to households and businesses and issued 2,295 loan guarantees amounting to €41 million.