Category Archives: Consumer Financial Protection Bureau

CFPB proposes rule on residential clean energy financing

The past two decades have seen the growth of Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) financing programs– which allow property owners to finance the costs of energy-efficiency-related improvements, secured by the property itself and paid as an addition to an owner’s property tax bill. In the residential market, there has been a concern that these loans […]

House Financial Services Committee passes bills to subject CFPB to appropriations process, turn CFPB into commission

Claire Williams at the American Banker has the story here (behind a paywall but available on Lexis). The bills now go to the full House but are unlikely to go anywhere in the Senate unless SCOTUS finds the CFPB’s funding to be unconstitutional, in which case it isn’t clear how Congress will respond. The article […]

CFPB official expresses concerns about BNPL dispute resolution

Payments Dive has the story here. Excerpt: “The biggest area we found of potential concern is disputes,” CFPB Program Manager Laura Udis said during a Monday panel discussion at the Nacha Smarter Faster Payments conference in Las Vegas. “We’ve seen that consumer concerns about disputes and billing is a high area of complaint to the […]

Federal agencies issue notice on fast-growing AI

As automated systems spread throughout the economy, federal agencies announce that they will use existing authorities to ensure compliance with the law. “We take seriously our responsibility to ensure that these rapidly evolving automated systems are developed and used in a manner consistent with federal laws,” said the heads of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, […]

Becher and Benoliel article: Hidden Contracts

Samuel Becher of Victoria University of Wellington and Uri Benoliel of the College of Law and Business – Ramat Gan Law School have written Hidden Contracts, forthcoming in Brigham Young University Law Review. Here’s the abstract: Transparency is a promising means for enhancing democratic values, countering corruption, and reducing power abuse. Nonetheless, the potential of transparency […]

Whither Arbitration? Conservative Competitive Enterprise Institute Attorney Calls for Jury Trials in Consumer Protection Cases

I’m finally getting around to listening to the House Financial Services Committee’s hearing March 9, 2023 on the CFPB. One of the witnesses at the hearing was Devin Watkins, an attorney at the conservative Competitive Enterprise Institute. Mr. Watkins’ testimony includes the following:  The Seventh Amendment of the U.S. Constitution mandates that “In Suits at […]

Industry Lawyers Warn Against Eliminating the CFPB

Joann Needleman and Manny Newburger have an essay in the American Banker, In the fight over the CFPB, everyone could end up a loser. It’s behind a paywall but accessible on Lexis. You can read more about Needleman and Newburger at their linked bios. They write: Opponents of the CFPB risk throwing out the good with […]

CFPB takes second stab at defining “abusive” conduct

The public comment period closed yesterday on the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s proposed rule to create a public registry for terms and conditions in non-negotiable nonbank contracts that limit consumer rights and protections. The proposal recognized a certain powerlessness of consumers who are forced to surrender critical rights when seeking out essential financial products. Part […]

New rule on data collection on small business lending

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau has finalized a rule required by Congress to increase transparency in small business lending, promote economic development, and combat unlawful discrimination. Lenders will collect and report information about the small business credit applications they receive, including geographic and demographic data, lending decisions, and the price of credit. A summary, with […]