Category Archives: Uncategorized

CFPB drops investigation into abusve marketing and lending practices

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau has ended its investigation into the marketing and lending practices of World Acceptance Corporation, a self-described "small-loan consumer finance" company. World Acceptance generates the bulk of its revenue through refinancings. As ProPublica has explained, here, the company makes installment loans with "sky-high rates" and generates revenue by charging interest up […]

Center for Auto Safety asks Ford to recall 1.3 million Explorers for carbon monoxide leaks

Today, in a letter to Ford Motor Company CEO Jim Hackett, the Center for Auto Safety renewed its request for Ford to conduct a full recall of 1.3 million Model Year 2011-2017 Explorers because of suspected Carbon Monoxide leaks. This follows the Center’s call for action in October 2017, after Ford failed to take seriously […]

Choice of Law in Anti-SLAPP Motions: Muhammad Ali Enterprises v. Fox

by Paul Alan Levy   Muhammad Ali's estate has sued Fox for running a promotion for its Superbowl broadcast that contrasted Ali''s greatness with the greatness of various football players.   Originally filed in the Northern District of Illinois, the complaint alleged claims under both the Lanham Act and the Illinois right of publicity.  It is hard […]

Mulvaney requests zero funding for CFPB for next quarter

Politico reports: Every quarter, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau formally requests its operating funds from the Federal Reserve. Last quarter, former director Richard Cordray asked for $217.1 million. Cordray, an appointee of President Barack Obama, needed just $86.6 million the quarter before that. And yesterday, President Donald Trump’s acting CFPB director, Mick Mulvaney, sent his […]

How student-loan debt got so big and some possible ways out

Law prof Ted Afield has written Compromising Student Loans, which explains why, in Afield's view, our student-loan programs do not properly assess a borrower's ability to pay back the loan. He also proposes a repayment program that he thinks would help borrowers who presently are unable to pay. Here is the abstract: Access to higher education […]

Consumer complaints about Equifax

Equifax was the subject of more complaints to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau than any other financial services company in all but one state in 2017, according to an analysis of agency data published Thursday. In every state but North Dakota, more residents complained to the CFPB about the credit reporting company than any other firm. […]

H&R Block Offering Update for its Tax Software at $24.95 But Others Get the Same Software for $9.95

by Jeff Sovern A friend forwarded me the two images below.  My friend, a prior H&R Block customer, received the 2017 software update for $24.95 while his son, who has not used the software in the past, was offered the identical software for $9.95. This type of price discrimination always makes me wonder about whether […]