InfoBytes Blog
Kraninger discusses coordinated state supervision and enforcement efforts
On December 10, in a speech before the National Association of Attorneys General Capital Forum, CFPB Director Kathy Kraninger discussed partnership with the states, as well as recent efforts between the Bureau and states in the areas of supervision and enforcement, including innovation policies. Kraninger also discussed the Bureau’s small dollar and debt collection rules. Noting that the Bureau will “effectively enforce the law to fulfill our consumer protection mission … after thoroughly reviewing the facts,” Kraninger recapped FY 2019 enforcement actions and settlements, which have resulted in more than $777 million in total consumer relief, which included over $600 million in consumer redress and more than $174 million in other relief. These actions, Kraninger stated, have resulted in more than $185 million in civil money penalties, not taking into account suspended amounts. Kraninger also highlighted several joint efforts with states and other agencies over the past year, including (i) a multi-agency action resolving a 2017 data breach (InfoBytes coverage here); (ii) a joint action with the New York Attorney General against a network of New York-based debt collectors that allegedly engaged in improper debt collection tactics (InfoBytes coverage here); (iii) a coordinated action with the Minnesota Attorney General’s Office, the North Carolina Department of Justice, and the Los Angeles City Attorney concerning a student loan debt relief operation (InfoBytes coverage here); and (iv) an action with the South Carolina Department of Consumer Affairs against an operation that offered high-interest loans to veterans and other consumers in exchange for the assignment of some of the consumers’ monthly pension or disability payments (InfoBytes coverage here).
Kraninger also discussed the Bureau’s recently-announced American Consumer Financial Innovation Network (ACFIN), which is designed to enhance coordination among federal and state regulators to facilitate financial innovation. (InfoBytes coverage here). ACFIN currently includes nine state attorneys general and four state financial regulators. Kraninger noted that the Bureau is presently reviewing approximately 190,000 comments concerning proposed changes related to certain payday lending requirements and mandatory underwriting provisions (InfoBytes coverage here), as well as over 14,000 comments submitted in response to its Notice of Proposed Rulemaking issued in May concerning amendments to the debt collection rule (InfoBytes coverage here). Kraninger stressed that the Bureau plans to release a Supplemental Notice of Proposed Rulemaking “very early” in 2020, and will be “interested in practical and pragmatic ideas of how to make time-barred debt disclosures work.”