The Federal Communications Commission recently released a proposal "to reduce unwanted robocalls and support blocking of spam robotexts." A Washington Post editorial today argues that the FCC proposal on spam texts "empowers companies instead of consumers." The gist of the issue is this: The FCC announced in November that it plans formally to classify text […]
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Amendments to Rules 5, 23, 62, and 65.1 went into effect yesterday. You can view them, as well as amendments to the Federal Rules of Appellate Procedure, here. Of particular interest for consumer law are the amendments to Rule 23, which provide grounds for the district court's approval of a proposed class-action settlement, disclosure of […]
When a federal district court certifies, refuses to certify, or decertifies a class, Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 23(f) gives a party 14 days to ask a court of appeals for permission to appeal the ruling. But what if a party seeks permission outside the 14-day window because some circumstance prevented action within 14 days or […]
The Ombudsman explains: "At the Ombudsman’s Office, we are an independent, impartial, and confidential resource that assists consumers, financial entities, consumer or trade groups, and others in informally resolving process issues with the Bureau. In short, we advocate for fair process in consumer financial protection. As in previous years, our annual report outlines our work […]
The New York Times profiles a new watchdog group started by a CFPB alum to focus on student loan issues: Three months ago, one of the government’s top student loan watchdogs, Seth Frotman, stepped down from his job at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau with a scathing resignation letter that criticized the Trump administration for […]
That's the title of this essay by Christopher Ingraham, which focuses on a new Brookings study on race and wealth. Here's how the essay starts: There are a lot of reasons that home prices tend to be lower in black neighborhoods than in white ones. Decades of racist policies put in place by governments and private […]
The Trump administration is proposing to eliminate the requirement of professional appraisals for many home sales — "a move that critics say could push the country back toward the see-no-evil days of mortgage lending that preceded the housing crash,"reports the Washington Post. Just before Thanksgiving, the administration’s top financial regulators — the Federal Deposit Insurance […]
A bill to give the federal government authority to collect civil penalties if a company misuses online consumer data or allows it to be stolen may be drafted early next year, the New York Times reports. "A subcommittee of the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee discussed elements of the bill on Tuesday, including the […]
The Hill reports that the Trans Atlantic Consumer Dialogue, a coalition of more than 75 consumer groups, is urging the Federal Trade Commission to investigate Google for allegedly manipulating Android users into having their location tracked at all times. In a letter sen today, the groups argued that Google "nudges" mobile phone users with Android operating […]
The Wall Street Journal reports: "Mick Mulvaney, as acting director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, has softened the agency’s hard-charging approach that financial companies had long complained about. One year after his appointment, the industry is pleased, but not fully satisfied. Mr. Mulvaney, appointed by President Trump last November, over the past year has […]