Author Archives: Jeff Sovern

Paul Bland: The Swamp on Steroids: Trump’s Plan to Repeal Dodd-Frank Will Enable Corruption

Here.  The whole piece is worth reading, but here's an excerpt: Donald Trump’s Presidential campaign was filled with a lot of bold talk about “draining the swamp” and fighting against lobbyists. He attacked Hillary Clinton for her supposed cozy relationship with banks, and talked about how he’d stand up to Wall Street on behalf of the […]

Study: What Are Student Loan Borrowers Thinking? Insights From Focus Groups on College Selection and Student Loan Decision Making

Here (costs $48), form the Journal of Financial Counseling and Planning. Here's the abstract: This study used data from online focus groups collected from November 2014 to April 2015 to understand college students' decision-making processes when borrowing money to finance their education. Data were collected using an online course management system. Results suggest that (a) students […]

Bloomberg BNA: Trump Presidency Creates Uncertainty for Arbitration Rules

Here. The entire article is worth reading, but I've pasted in an excerpt below.  (HT: Gregory Gauthier) “Trump and his businesses seem to have been big proponents of arbitration, using it as a way of getting disputes out of courts and therefore out of the public eye,” defense attorney Liz Kramer told Bloomberg BNA. Kramer, of Stinson […]

American Banker: CFPB’s Precarious Future Under Trump

Here (free content, I think). Excerpt: While Republican lawmakers are likely to focus on efforts to replace the agency's single director with a bipartisan five-member commission, as well as subject it to the Congressional appropriations process, Trump may seek to take more immediate action once he takes office in January. Some said he could either pressure […]

Law360: House GOP To Drive Trump’s Banking Policies

Here (behind paywall).  Excerpt: While his lack of clarity has left many in the financial services industry wondering what Trump’s win will mean, the presence of Pence in the No. 2 spot is likely to provide a good clue. * * * “He’s going to be in an enormously powerful position to influence policy,” Lynyak […]

National LJ: Trump’s Election Could Upend Consumer Protection Bureau

Here (behind paywall).  Excerpt: The CFPB is expected to appeal the three-judge panel’s decision [in PHH] to the full D.C. Circuit, where Democrat-appointed judges have a majority. But a question hanging over the transition is whether Trump will still try to replace Cordray—either by invoking the D.C. Circuit panel’s decision or finding cause to fire […]

InsideARM: What Could Trump’s Presidency Mean for the Debt Collection Industry?

Here. Excerpt: It will be interesting to see what Cordray attempts to accomplish between now and January 21, 2017. One thought is that he might try to focus on finalizing those rules that have already been out for public comment – payday and arbitration. With the completion of the debt collection SBREFA hearing in August, […]

Some First Thoughts on What the Election Means for the Consumer Financial Protection Commission

by Jeff Sovern It looks like the Republicans have captured the presidency and both houses of Congress, but that the Democrats will retain enough Senate seats to use the filibuster to block legislation, assuming the filibuster rules don't change.  Filibusters cannot be used to prevent confirmation of most presidential nominees, but can still be used […]

ProPublica: Facebook Lets Advertisers Exclude Users by Race

Here.  For example, advertisers can specify that their housing ads not be shown to African-Americans, Asian-Americans, Hispanics, etc., in apparent violation of various laws.  HUD is now reported to be looking into the matter, and a class action suit has been filed. It is not clear from the story whether the option is limited to […]