Author Archives: Jeff Sovern

Ken Cuccinelli Column: Reforming CFPB isn’t enough. Eliminate it. [Proposes Solution that Led to the Great Recession]

by Jeff Sovern Here, in the American Banker (free content). Cuccinellis is general counsel to the FreedomWorks Regulatory Action Center, and former AG for Virginia. Excerpt: Rather than tinkering with this regulatory monstrosity, let’s pursue a simpler course: simply eliminate the standalone agency. Most of the regulatory powers that the CFPB now wields were previously […]

Trump Names as FCC Chair Ajit Pai, Critic of FCC TCPA Interpretations

Here. Pai, a Republican, has been critical of FCC interpretations of the TCPA (see here and here). Here's the perspective of ACA International, an industry organization : Of particular importance to the credit and collection industry, Pai has fiercely objected to the FCC’s more recent interpretations of the TCPA spearheaded by Wheeler.  Authoring a hard-hitting […]

New study tells inside story of how local communities use ordinances to say ‘enough’ to payday lenders

Here's the press release:  Jan. 24, 2017— An 18-month study of community approaches to controlling payday lending practices concludes there are 10 lessons for those interested in positively affecting local ordinances, according to researchers from the University of Utah and University of New Mexico. In “The Power of Community Action: Anti-Payday Loan Ordinances in Three […]

Ben-Shahar & Strakilvitz on Contracting Over Privacy: A Symposium Introduction

Omri Ben-Shahar and Lior Strahilevitz, both of Chicago, have written an introduction to a symposium, Contracting Over Privacy: Introduction, 43 Journal of Legal Studies, No. S2, 2016. Here's the abstract: This short essay introduces papers presented at the symposium Contracting over Privacy, which took place at the Coase-Sandor Institute for Law and Economics at the University of […]

Cooper & Wright on Economics in FTC Privacy Policy

James C. Cooper and Joshua D. Wright, both of George Mason have written The Missing Role of Economics in FTC Privacy Policy, Cambridge Handbook of Consumer Privacy, Jules Polonetsky, Evan Selinger & Omer Tene, eds., Cambridge University Press (2017), Forthcoming.  Here's the abstract: The FTC has been in the privacy game for almost twenty years. In […]

My Times Dealbook Op-Ed: Trump Faces Stark Choice: Protect Consumers or Banks

Here.  Here's the beginning and the end:   President-elect Donald J. Trump will soon face a stark choice: whether to protect consumers, the ordinary Americans he pledged to defend against a system he criticized as rigged — or to side with that system. * * * If Mr. Trump chooses not to preserve a strong, […]

The Hill: Dem senators to Trump: Don’t tell consumer bureau chief ‘you’re fired’

Here. Excerpt: Schumer said Trump’s decision to “govern as a hard-right Republican” and possibly replace Cordray breaks his campaign promise to “drain the swamp” by fighting corporate interests on behalf of middle-class Americans. * * * The CFPB is currently finalizing rules on arbitration clauses, payday lending and debt collecting. Warren said the push to […]