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New York AG, Credit Card Servicer Enter Into Agreement to Refund Credit Card Fees
On October 30, New York Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman announced an agreement with a credit card servicer and marketer to resolve allegations that the servicer failed to disclose upfront fees in its direct mail marketing materials. According to Attorney General’s office, the servicer failed to disclose a $125 “off-the-top first year fee” for a low-limit card product, which effectively reduced the card’s credit limit from $500 to $375. Under the terms of the agreement, the servicer is required to improve the disclosures in its direct mail marketing and issue refunds of the $125 fee to affected New York consumers.
CFPB Releases 50-State Snapshots of Student Debt, Servicemember Complaints
On October 27, the CFPB published a blog post highlighting the Bureau’s October 20 “50-state snapshot of student debt,” which illustrates how the “more than $1.4 trillion in student loan debt” is spread across the country. The snapshot also provides data on the more than 50,000 student loan complaints and 10,000 debt collection complaints received by the CFPB through September 2017 (over the course of 5 years). Specifically, for each state, the snapshot provides (i) the “total outstanding student loan debt balance as of 2016”; (ii) the “total student loan complaints handled”; (iii) the “change in volume of student loan complaints handled”; (iv) the “total debt collection complaints handled related to student loans”; and (v) the “change in volume of debt collection complaints handled related to student loans.” The blog post also provides tips and tools intended to assist student loan borrowers navigate problems with their loans.
On October 31, the CFPB published a blog post releasing the Bureau’s “50 state snapshot of servicemember complaints,” which provides state-specific data on the over 91,000 complaints received from servicemembers, veterans, and their families since 2011 (which the CFPB collectively defines as, “servicemember”). Specifically, for each state, the snapshot provides (i) the total number of servicemember complaints handled since 2011, (ii) distribution of complaints by product for both servicemembers and non-servicemembers; (iiI) distribution of complaints by branch of service; and (iv) a visual representation of complaints by zip code.
District of Columbia Mayor Signs Emergency Legislation Temporarily Prohibiting Credit Freeze Fees
On October 23, District of Columbia Mayor Muriel Bowser signed emergency legislation (Act 22 155) that prohibits credit reporting agencies (CRAs) from charging consumers fees for security credit freezes. The Credit Protection Fee Waiver Emergency Amendment Act of 2017 requires CRAs to provide security freeze services and one-time reissuances of passwords or PINs to consumers for free, but permits charging up to $10 for subsequent instances of password or PIN requests. The Act took effect immediately and will remain in effect for a maximum of 90 days.
As previously covered in InfoBytes, a coalition of state attorneys general recently petitioned two major CRAs to cease charging fees for credit freezes.
FTC Settles Suit Against Credit Score Site Schemers
On October 26, the FTC agreed to a settlement of $760,000 with two affiliate marketers of a credit score business who allegedly committed deceptive acts to lure consumers into signing up for their monthly credit monitoring service for $30.00.
The settlement partly resolves a suit the FTC filed in January against the credit score company, the owner, and the company’s affiliate marketers. The FTC alleged that the defendants posted fake rental ads on Craigslist and required persons responding to the ads to obtain a purportedly “free” credit report from the company’s websites before viewing the property. The defendants, however, used the credit or debit card information consumers entered to obtain the credit report and enrolled consumers for a negative option credit monitoring service with a $30.00 monthly fee.
The order suspended the balance of the total $6.8 million judgment on the condition that the affiliate marketers pay the FTC the settled amounts. The claims against the company and the owner are ongoing.
CFPB Posts Strategic Plan for Fiscal Years 2018-2022
On October 18, the CFPB released and requested feedback on its draft strategic plan for fiscal years 2018-2022. This strategic plan identifies the Bureau’s long-term goals and objectives.
The proposed strategic plan outlines four broad goals for the next five years with multiple objectives and various strategies defined for each goal. Consistent with previous CFPB releases, these objectives reflect the Bureau’s continued use of data and technology to advance its mission. The four goals are:
- “Prevent financial harm to consumers while promoting good practices that work for consumers, responsible providers, and the economy as a whole.” Objectives include creating and modifying regulations; supervising institutions; and enforcing consumer financial laws.
- “Empower consumers to make informed financial choices to reach their own life goals and enhance their own financial well-being.” Objectives include handling complaints and sharing data; and creating and offering educational resources.
- “Inform the public, policy makers, and the CFPB’s own policy-making with market intelligence and data-driven analysis of consumer financial markets and consumer behavior.” Objectives include monitoring markets and producing research reports.
- “Advance the CFPB’s performance by maximizing resource productivity.” Objectives include hiring a diverse work force; using technology for public engagement; ensuring effective and efficient management; and maintaining meaningful channels for feedback.
The CFPB is requesting comments by November 18.
Virginia AG Announces Settlement With Internet Lender Over Licensing Claims and Excessive Interest
On October 25, Virginia Attorney General Mark R. Herring announced a settlement with a Nevada-based internet lender to resolve allegations that the lender violated the Virginia Consumer Protection Act by misrepresenting it was licensed by the state’s Bureau of Financial Institutions and collecting interest exceeding the state’s general usury limit. According to a press release issued by the Attorney General’s office, the settlement requires the lender to provide refunds and interest forgiveness of more than $265,000 to borrowers, and pay the state $50,000 in civil money penalties, costs, and fees. A permanent injunction also prohibits the lender from, among other things, misrepresenting its licensing status and collecting interest exceeding the amount allowed by the state’s general usury statute.
CFPB Consumer Advisory Board Public Meeting Notice
The CFPB Consumer Advisory Board will host a public meeting on Thursday, November 2, at 10:00am EST in Tampa, Florida. According to the notice, published in the Federal Register on October 17, the board will discuss Know Before You Owe: Reverse Mortgages; financial well-being; trends and themes; and payday, vehicle title, and certain high-cost installment loans.
Attendees must RSVP by noon, November 1, to CFPB_CABandCouncilsEvents@cfpb.gov.
Federal Reserve Governor Calls for Collaboration Between Banks and Fintech Firms for Safe and Secure Payment System
On October 18, Federal Reserve Board Governor, Jerome H. Powell, spoke at the 41st Annual Central Banking Seminar regarding the impact of technology on retail banking and payment services. Powell noted that rapidly changing technology for more timely and convenient payment methods, “should not come at the cost of a safe and secure payment system. . .” In doing so, he encouraged banks, fintech companies, and all other stakeholders in the industry to collaborate to achieve a payment system that is reliable, secure, and convenient.
Powell went on to highlight the work of the Faster Payments Task Force (as previously covered by InfoBytes) and the Secure Payments Task Force. For secure payments, he discussed the Federal Reserve’s plan to launch a study analyzing payment security vulnerabilities in early 2018 and its plan to establish work groups focused on approaches for reducing the prevalence and cost of specific payment security vulnerabilities.
As covered by InfoBytes, the OCC Acting Comptroller of Currency, Keith A. Noreika, also recently spoke about the continuing innovation of banks and fintech companies within the financial technology sector.
President Trump Signs Law to Prevent Elder Abuse and Exploitation
On October 18, President Trump signed the Elder Abuse Prevention and Prosecution Act, which establishes new requirements aimed at improving the DOJ’s response to elder abuse crimes. Among other things, S 178 expands data collection and information sharing provisions to prevent financial crimes committed against seniors. The law also broadens the federal criminal code to include “email marketing” fraud, such as marketing measures designed to induce the commitment to a loan. Other notable provisions include enhanced penalties for fraud and increased training for federal investigators and prosecutors. Further, the law requires the FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection and the DOJ to appoint elder justice coordinators to oversee enforcement, consumer education efforts, and policy activities related to elder justice issues.
NYDFS Announces Two New Regulations Targeting Title Insurance Practices
On October 17, the New York Department of Financial Services (NYDFS) adopted two final regulations designed to stop “unscrupulous practices” in the title insurance industry. The final regulations—which are the culmination of a NYDFS’ investigation into the practices of title insurers—supersede “emergency” versions of both regulations that went into effect earlier this year. (See previously InfoBytes coverage here.) Specifically, the first rule clarifies that certain “reasonable and customary” advertising and marketing expenses will be permitted provided “they are without regard to insured status or conditioned directly or indirectly on the referral of title business.” Meals, entertainment, and other forms of inducements are prohibited. According to a NYDFS press release, the state’s “anti-inducement statute is not limited to situations in which there is a direct quid pro quo for business.” The second rule requires, among other things, that title insurance companies or agents function independently from any affiliates through which they generate a portion of their business and make “good faith” efforts to accept business from non-affiliate sources.