The Federal Trade Commission announced today that it is mailing 5,232 checks totaling more than $2.7 million to people who lost money to Rincon Debt Management, a debt collection scheme that focused on people who were strapped for cash. The company’s owners are banned from the debt collection business. People who lost money are getting […]
This article by Eric Wolff explains that "[a] supervisor at the Energy Department's international climate office told staff this week not to use the phrases 'climate change,' 'emissions reduction' or 'Paris Agreement' in written memos, briefings or other written communication." ("Emissions reduction." Now, there's a subversive phrase!) So, must they consult the Trumpian Newspeak dictionary to figure out what […]
Prentiss Cox of Minnesota, Amy Widman of Northern Illinois, and Mark Totten of Michigan State have written Strategies of Public UDAP Enforcement, Harvard Journal on Legislation, Forthcoming. Here's the abstract: Laws protecting consumers from unfair and deceptive acts and practices – commonly called “UDAP” laws – have played a stunning role in recent years. As […]
The Supreme Court today issued its decision in Expressions Hair Design v. Schneiderman. The cert petition posed the question in the case this way: Ten states have enacted laws that allow merchants to charge higher prices to consumers who pay with a credit card instead of cash, but require the merchant to communicate that price difference […]
Here is The Hill's Report. Excerpt: Republicans on the House Financial Services Committee are eyeing April markups for Dodd-Frank legislation, meaning Democrats have just about a month to settle on a strategy to defend the CFPB. Some Democrats think working with Republicans on some changes to the CFPB could be sound policy. Several House Financial […]
Read this piece by James Hohmann, which argues that the importance of Trump's loss on health care is being overblown and that, in fact, Trump is largely succeeding so far. It includes this passage: Despite the chaos and the growing credibility gap, Trump is systematically succeeding in his quest to “deconstruct the administrative state” [quoting Steve Bannon] He’s […]
FairWarning reports: Can a used car be marketed as “safe” or “certified” even if it has defective air bags, a faulty ignition switch or other potentially lethal problems? Yes, so long as the used car dealer discloses that the vehicle may be subject to a pending safety recall. That stance, taken by the Federal Trade […]
This article by Alan Rappeport provides details on the Trump Administration's plans to move on to tax legislation and climate policy, after Trump's spectacular failure to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act. Rappeport says that this week "the administration will issue an executive order that will begin to dismantle a rule issued by former president […]
About I week ago, I posted an opinion piece by consumer reporter Michelle Singletary explaining why Trump's plan to cut medicaid was "disastrous." She's now written an article about readers' vicious reactions to that piece.
by Jeff Sovern We've blogged several times about the House Financial Service Subcommittee hearing on the constitutionality of the CFPB, at which PHH's lawyer Ted Olson, among others, testified. Now that I have listened to the hearing, I have a few reactions. Personally, I found the questioning by the Democratic members disappointing. For the most part, […]