“CPFB head misguided in reliance on consumer education”

That's the title of this piece in The Hill by law prof Lauren Willis. WIllis's bio notes that "[s]he is a leading critic of the use of financial education, disclosures, and 'nudges' (default settings) in consumer policy-making." Willis's Hill piece applies that critique to the regulatory approach of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau under the direction of Trump appointee Kathy Kraninger. Willis's piece starts like this:

Imagine that your city’s water treatment facility announced tomorrow that it would scale back its work. Instead, the authorities would offer online classes and put up posters around town to teach city residents about contaminants and filtration. With slogans about “empowering consumers,” they would urge residents to make their own choices about the water safety level that’s right for them, based on individual health needs and taste preferences. People would surely protest. It is both foolish and cruel to put the onus on ordinary citizens to handle an issue that requires professional training to fully understand and that can devastate people’s lives if handled poorly. It seems cynically designed to relieve city administrators — and the businesses that impact the city’s water supply — of their responsibilities. Yet this is exactly what’s happening today in the consumer financial marketplace at the federal level.

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