CFPB Resource Center
Introduction
Buckley's CFPB practice includes more than 40 partners and counsel who have advised on CFPB regulatory, examination, and enforcement matters.
The firm has advised or is still advising on more than 50 examinations, investigations, and enforcement actions in connection with CFPB rulemakings. On this page, we outline some of the knowledge, insights and observations we have developed based on our work on CFPB matters.
The majority of our lawyers have experience working on CFPB matters, including 40 of our partners and counsel. Our recent representations have included the following industries:
- Auto finance
- Credit cards
- Mortgage origination and servicing
- Payday lending
- Student loans
- Specialty lending
- Homeowners Protection Act
- Credit reporting
Thought Leadership & Analysis
Agencies finalize certain 2021 thresholds
On November 18, the CFPB, OCC, and the Federal Reserve Board announced a final rule , which increases the TILA smaller loan exemption threshold for the special appraisal requirements for higher-priced mortgage loans (HPMLs). TILA requires creditors to obtain a written appraisal before making a HPML...
InfoBytesCFPB settles with debt collector over credit reporting violations
On November 12, the CFPB announced a settlement with an Illinois-based non-bank debt collector, resolving allegations that the company violated the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA), Regulation V, and the Consumer Financial Protection Act when providing information to consumer reporting agencies (...
InfoBytesCFPB reports on payment information furnishing
On November 12, the CFPB released its latest quarterly consumer credit trends report on the prevalence of actual payment information in consumer credit reporting, concluding that actual payment furnishing for installment loan products has increased steadily between 2012 and 2020 while actual...
InfoBytesCFPB seeks comment on payday loan disclosure testing
On November 12, the CFPB published a notice and request for comment in the Federal Register detailing a plan for payday loan disclosure testing. The Bureau notes that a contractor will conduct one-on-one consumer interviews to evaluate potential options for payday loan disclosures. The interviews...
InfoBytesCFPB reports on debt trends for young veterans leaving service
On November 9, the CFPB released a report highlighting credit record trends for young enlisted servicemembers during the first year after separation. According to the CFPB, a large number of these servicemembers become delinquent on debt payments or have severe derogatories appear on their credit...
InfoBytesCFPB takes action against debt-relief and debt-settlement companies
On November 5, the CFPB announced an action filed in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California against a student loan debt-relief company, a debt-settlement company, and the owner of both companies (collectively, “defendants”) for allegedly violating the Telemarketing Sales...
InfoBytesCFPB will not alter credit reporting guidance deadline relief
On November 9, CFPB Director Kathy Kraninger sent a letter to the National Consumer Law Center (NCLC) stating that the Bureau is not planning to make any changes to the guidance it issued in April (covered by InfoBytes here ), which informed furnishers that the Bureau will refrain from taking...
InfoBytesBank gets NAL from CFPB using small-dollar template
On November 5, under the CFPB’s revised no-action letter (NAL) policy, the Bureau issued a NAL to a national bank regarding certain small-dollar credit products offered by the bank. As previously covered by InfoBytes , in May, the Bureau approved a template in response to a request by a nonpartisan...
InfoBytesCFPB and South Carolina settle with loan broker for veteran pension loans
On October 30, the CFPB and the South Carolina Department of Consumer Affairs filed a proposed final judgment in the U.S. District Court for the District of South Carolina to settle an action alleging that two companies and their owner (collectively, “defendants”) violated the Consumer Financial...
InfoBytesCFPB charges lender with misrepresenting loan risks
On November 5, the CFPB filed a complaint in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida against a Florida-based company and its CEO (collectively, “defendants”) alleging violations of the Consumer Financial Protection Act through their offering of short-term, high-interest loans...
InfoBytes2nd Circuit vacates dismissal of CFPB action following Seila
On October 30, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit summarily vacated a 2018 district court order that had dismissed CFPB and New York Attorney General claims against a New Jersey-based finance company accused of misleading first responders to the World Trade Center attack and NFL...
InfoBytesCFPB settles with payment plan company over deceptive sales practices
On November 2, the CFPB announced a settlement with a Texas-based payment plan company, resolving allegations that the company’s loan payment program disclosures contained misleading statements in violation of the Consumer Financial Protection Act. According to the Bureau, the company’s loan...
InfoBytesCFPB finalizes rule on confidential information disclosures
On October 29, the CFPB issued a final rule to modify its procedures for the disclosure of records and information. As previously covered by InfoBytes , in August 2016, the Bureau issued a proposed rule seeking to, among other things, amend procedures used by persons in the public domain to obtain...
InfoBytesTrade group sues CFPB over payday repeal
On October 29, a national community advocate group filed a complaint against the CFPB challenging the Bureau’s repeal of the underwriting provisions of the agency’s 2017 final rule covering “Payday, Vehicle Title, and Certain High-Cost Installment Loans” (Rule). As previously covered by InfoBytes...
InfoBytesCFPB finalizes certain debt collection rules
On October 30, the CFPB issued (along with blog post from Director Kraninger) its final rule amending Regulation F, which implements the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA), addressing debt collection communications and prohibitions on harassment or abuse, false or misleading representations...
InfoBytesCFPB settles with ninth lender on misleading VA advertising
On October 26, the CFPB announced a settlement with a ninth mortgage lender for mailing consumers advertisements for Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) mortgages that allegedly contained misleading statements or lacked required disclosures. According to the Bureau, the lender allegedly sent false...
InfoBytesCFPB urges court to reject challenge to Payday Rule’s payment provisions
On October 23, the CFPB filed a cross-motion for summary judgment in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas in ongoing litigation involving two payday loan trade groups (plaintiffs) concerning the Bureau’s 2017 final rule covering payday loans, vehicle title loans, and certain...
InfoBytesCFPB settles with bank for HMDA filing errors
On October 27, the CFPB announced a settlement with a national bank, resolving allegations that the bank reported inaccurate HMDA data for 2016 and 2017 mortgage transactions. According to the consent order , the bank allegedly violated HMDA, Regulation C, and the Consumer Financial Protection Act...
InfoBytesNonbank lender argues CFPB redlining action is flawed
On October 23, a Chicago-based nonbank mortgage company moved to dismiss a CFPB redlining action on the grounds that the Bureau’s complaint “improperly seek[s]” to expand ECOA to “prospective applicants.” As previously covered by a Buckley Special Alert , in July, the Bureau filed a complaint...
InfoBytesCFPB releases education ombudsman’s annual report
On October 28, the CFPB Private Education Loan Ombudsman published its annual report on consumer complaints submitted between September 1, 2019 and August 31, 2020. The report is based on approximately 7,000 complaints received by the Bureau relating to federal and private student loans. Of these...
InfoBytesCFPB issues ANPR on consumer access to financial records
On October 22, the CFPB released an advanced notice of proposed rulemaking (ANPR), which seeks comments to assist the Bureau in developing regulations covering consumers’ access to financial records. The Bureau is required to promulgate regulations to implement Section 1033 of the Dodd-Frank Act,...
InfoBytesSenator Brown objects to Bureau’s SEFL reorganization proposal
On October 21, Senator Sherrod Brown (D-OH) asked CFPB Director Kathy Kraninger to delay the implementation of a proposed reorganization of the Bureau’s Division of Supervision, Enforcement, and Fair Lending (SEFL) until after the election and a determination is made as to whether Kraninger will...
InfoBytesCFPB extends GSE Patch
On October 20, the CFPB issued a final rule extending the expiration of the GSE Patch until the mandatory compliance date of final amendments to the General Qualified Mortgage (QM) loan definition in order to facilitate a smooth and orderly transition away from the GSE Patch. As previously covered...
InfoBytesAgencies propose codifying that supervisory guidance lacks force of law
On October 20, the Federal Reserve Board, CFPB, FDIC, NCUA, and OCC released a notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM), which seeks to codify the “Interagency Statement Clarifying the Role of Supervisory Guidance issued by the agencies on September 11, 2018 (2018 Statement).” As previously covered by...
InfoBytesCFPB settles with auto servicer over deceptive practices
On October 13, the CFPB announced a settlement with the Texas-based auto-financing subsidiary of a Japanese automobile manufacturer to resolve allegations that the servicer violated the Consumer Financial Protection Act by engaging in illegal repossession and collection practices. The CFPB alleged...
InfoBytesDebt collector settles with CFPB for $15 million
On October 15, the CFPB announced a proposed settlement with the largest U.S. debt collector and debt buyer and its subsidiaries (collectively, “defendants”), resolving allegations that the defendants violated the terms of a 2015 consent order related to their debt collection practices. As...
InfoBytesCFPB releases annual college credit card report
On October 8, the CFPB released its annual report to Congress on college credit card agreements. The report was prepared pursuant to the CARD Act, which requires credit card issuers to submit to the Bureau the terms and conditions of any agreements they make with colleges, as well as certain...
InfoBytesCFPB offers RESPA guidance on MSAs
On October 7, the CFPB issued FAQs covering RESPA Section 8 and corresponding Regulation X sections. The FAQs provide a general overview of Section 8 and its prohibited activities. The FAQs also address the application of Section 8 to common scenarios involving gifts and promotional activities and...
InfoBytesSenate Democrats question CFPB’s lack of restitution in VA ad settlements
On October 1, sixteen Democratic Senators sent a letter to CFPB Director Kathy Kraninger, expressing concern over the Bureau’s failure to obtain restitution in eight recent settlements with mortgage lenders for allegedly mailing consumers advertisements for Department of Veterans Affairs (VA)...
InfoBytesCFPB outlines application process for early termination of consent orders
On October 5, the CFPB issued a policy statement outlining the application process for entities seeking to terminate a consent order before the original expiration date. Generally, consent orders issued by the Bureau carry five-year terms, although the term may be extended in certain circumstances...
InfoBytesCFPB releases TRID five-year lookback assessment
On October 1, the CFPB released the assessment report required by Section 1022(d) of the Dodd-Frank Act for the TILA-RESPA Integrated Disclosure Rule (TRID), concluding that the TRID Rule “made progress towards several of its goals.” The assessment report was conducted using the Bureau’s own...
InfoBytesFFIEC adopts revised interagency examination procedures for TILA
On September 30, On September 30, the OCC issued Bulletin 2020-84 announcing the Task Force on Consumer Compliance of the Federal Financial Institutions Examination Council’s adoption of revised interagency examination procedures for TILA, as implemented by Regulation Z. The updated interagency...
InfoBytesCFPB, FTC, and states announce debt collection enforcement operation
On September 29, the CFPB, FTC, and more than 50 federal and state law enforcement partners announced a nationwide enforcement and outreach effort titled “Operation Corrupt Collector” to address illegal debt collection practices. As of the date of the announcement, according to the CFPB, the...
InfoBytesCFPB settles with auto lender on unfair LDW practices
On September 21, the CFPB announced a settlement with a California-based auto-loan servicer to resolve allegations that the company engaged in unfair practices with respect to its Loss Damage Waiver (LDW) product, in violation of the Consumer Financial Protection Act. The CFPB alleged that the...
InfoBytesCFPB denies petition to set aside CID; cites authority to seek “reasonably relevant” information
On August 27, the CFPB denied a petition by an auto financing company to set aside a civil investigative demand (CID) issued by the Bureau in June. The CID requested information from the company to determine, among other things, “whether auto lenders or associated persons, in connection with...
InfoBytesCFPB outlines plan to disclose data on small-business lending
On September 15, the CFPB released its “Outline of Proposals Under Consideration and Alternatives Considered” (Outline) for implementing the requirements of Section 1071 of the Dodd-Frank Act, which instructs the Bureau to collect and disclose data on lending to women and minority-owned small...
InfoBytesJoint settlement requires forgiveness on $330 million of student loans
On September 15, the CFPB filed a complaint and proposed stipulated judgment against a trust, along with three banks acting in their capacity as trustees to the trust, for allegedly providing substantial assistance to a now defunct for-profit educational institution in engaging in unfair acts and...
InfoBytesCFPB settles with eighth lender on misleading VA advertising
On September 14, the CFPB announced a settlement with an eighth mortgage lender for mailing consumers advertisements for Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) mortgages that allegedly contained misleading statements or lacked required disclosures. According to the Bureau, the lender offers and...
InfoBytesCourt approves additional settlements in CFPB student debt relief action
On September 8, the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California entered a stipulated final judgment against two additional defendants in an action brought by the CFPB, the Minnesota and North Carolina attorneys general, and the Los Angeles City Attorney alleging a student loan debt...
InfoBytesCFPB alleges debt collection, debt buying companies violated 2015 consent order
On September 8, the CFPB filed a complaint against the largest U.S. debt collector and debt buyer and its subsidiaries (collectively, “defendants”) for allegedly violating the terms of a 2015 consent order related to their debt collection practices. As previously covered by InfoBytes , the...
InfoBytesCFPB and New York AG take action against debt collection operation
On September 8, the CFPB and the New York attorney general jointly filed a lawsuit against a debt collection operation based near Buffalo, New York. The defendants include five companies, two of their owners, and two of their managers (collectively, “defendants”). According to the complaint , filed...
InfoBytesSpecial Alert: California’s new consumer financial protection law expands UDAAP and enforcement authority
On Monday, August 31, the California Legislature passed Assembly Bill 1864 , which enacts the California Consumer Financial Protection Law (CCFPL) and changes the name of the Department of Business Oversight (DBO) to the Department of Financial Protection and Innovation (DFPI). Key takeaways...
Special AlertsCFPB issues Summer 2020 Supervisory Highlights
On September 4, the CFPB released its summer 2020 Supervisory Highlights , which details its supervisory and enforcement actions in the areas of consumer reporting, debt collection, deposits, fair lending, mortgage servicing, and payday lending. The findings of the report, which are published to...
InfoBytesCFPB gives details on e-disclosure tech sprint
On September 1, the CFPB issued new details on its first Tech Sprint, which will cover innovative approaches to adverse action e-disclosures. As previously covered by InfoBytes , the CFPB announced in September 2019 its intention to use Tech Sprints—which had been used by the U.K.’s Financial...
InfoBytesCFPB settles with three more lenders on misleading VA advertising
Recently, the CFPB announced settlements (see here , here , and here ) with three mortgage lenders for mailing consumers advertisements for Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) mortgages that allegedly contained misleading statements or lacked required disclosures. According to the Bureau, the...
InfoBytesCFPB asks 9th Circuit to enforce Seila CID
On August 31, the CFPB filed a supplemental brief in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, arguing that the formal ratifications of then-Acting Director Mick Mulvaney and current Director Kathy Kraninger, paired with the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling in Seila v. CFPB , are sufficient for...
InfoBytesTrade groups amend Payday Rule complaint
On August 28, two payday loan trade groups (plaintiffs) filed an amended complaint in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas in ongoing litigation challenging the CFPB’s 2017 final rule covering payday loans, vehicle title loans, and certain other installment loans (Rule). As...
InfoBytesCourt approves settlements in CFPB student debt relief action
On August 26 and 28, the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California entered two final judgments (see here and here ) against four of the defendants in an action brought by the CFPB, the Minnesota and North Carolina attorneys general, and the Los Angeles City Attorney alleging a...
InfoBytesCFPB examines early effects of Covid-19 on consumer credit
On August 31, the CFPB released a report on the early effects of the Covid-19 pandemic on consumer credit outcomes. The report analyzed a “nationally representative sample of approximately five million de-identified credit records maintained by one of the three nationwide consumer reporting...
InfoBytes"Data security best practices for licensed lenders' telework" by Sherry-Maria Safchuk and James C. Chou (Law360)
State-licensed/registered brokers, lenders and servicers have increased their focus on data security as the spread of COVID-19 has extended work-from-home orders, and what now seems to be a lasting acceptance of remote work means that the tools used to secure data will remain relevant when the...
ArticlesCFPB denies company’s petition to set aside CID, citing investigative authority broader than enforcement authority
On August 13, the CFPB denied a petition by a credit repair software company to set aside a civil investigative demand (CID) issued by the Bureau in April. The CID requested information from the company “to determine whether providers of credit repair business software, companies offering credit...
InfoBytesCFPB says it will submit important research to peer review
On August 28, the CFPB announced a new external peer review process of its “important technical and scientific research” in order to ensure its quality. The Bureau noted it is following guidance from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), which encourages federal agencies to seek peer review of...
InfoBytesCFPB releases more 2019 HMDA data
On August 27, the CFPB issued a new analysis of the 2019 Home Mortgage Disclosure Act (HMDA) data on mortgage lending transactions, which follows an initial release from the CFPB and the Federal Financial Institutions Examinations Council (FFIEC) earlier in June (covered by InfoBytes here ). The...
InfoBytesCFPB issues CARD Act RFI
On August 25, the CFPB announced a Request for Information (RFI) on the Credit Card Accountability Responsibility and Disclosure Act of 2009 (CARD Act), consistent with the requirements of Section 610 of the Regulatory Flexibility Act (RFA), which specifies that agencies should review certain rules...
InfoBytesCFPB moves to enforce subpoena against telemarketer in alleged credit repair operation
On August 25, the CFPB filed a motion in the U.S. District Court for the District of Northern Florida to compel a telemarketing company (defendant) allegedly associated with a credit repair operation to comply with a subpoena and produce documents requested by the Bureau. According to the Bureau,...
InfoBytesCFPB says it is on track to meet data collection deadlines
On August 24, the CFPB filed another status report in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California as required under a stipulated settlement reached in February with a group of plaintiffs, including the California Reinvestment Coalition. The settlement (covered by InfoBytes here...
InfoBytesDistrict court lifts litigation stay in challenge to CFPB’s Payday Rule
On August 20, the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas granted a joint motion to lift a stay of litigation in a lawsuit filed by two payday loan trade groups (plaintiffs) challenging the CFPB’s 2017 final rule covering payday loans, vehicle title loans, and certain other...
InfoBytesCFPB releases 2021 HMDA filing instructions
On August 21, the CFPB released the Filing Instructions Guide for HMDA data collected in 2021 that must be reported in 2022. The guide states that there are no significant changes to the submission process and that the required data fields to be collected and reported have not changed. Instructions...
InfoBytesCFPB settles with two mortgage companies over misleading VA loan advertisements
On August 26, the CFPB announced a settlement with a mortgage company to resolve allegations that the company, which is licensed as a mortgage broker or lender in approximately 11 states, sent false, misleading, and inaccurate direct-mail advertisements to servicemembers and veterans for its VA-...
InfoBytesCFPB reaches $122 million settlement with national bank to resolve overdraft violations
On August 20, the CFPB announced a settlement with a national bank, resolving allegations that the bank violated the EFTA, CFPA, and FCRA through the marketing and sale of its optional overdraft service. According to the consent order, the bank violated the EFTA and Regulation E by enrolling...
InfoBytesSpecial Alert: CFPB proposes new Qualified Mortgage definition for Seasoned QMs
On August 18, the CFPB released a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) to create a new category of Qualified Mortgages to be called “Seasoned QMs”. The CFPB concluded that if a loan has performed for a long enough period of time and meets certain underwriting conditions and product restrictions, it...
InfoBytesSpecial Alert: CFPB proposes new Qualified Mortgage definition for Seasoned QMs
On August 18, the CFPB released a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) to create a new category of Qualified Mortgages to be called “Seasoned QMs”. The CFPB concluded that if a loan has performed for a long enough period of time and meets certain underwriting conditions and product restrictions, it...
Special AlertsCFPB updates Payday Lending Rule FAQs
On August 11, the CFPB released updated FAQs pertaining to compliance with the payment provisions of the “Payday, Vehicle Title, and Certain High-Cost Installment Loans” (Payday Lending Rule). Earlier in June, the Bureau issued a final rule revoking certain underwriting provisions of the Payday...
InfoBytesLender and owner to pay $12.5 million in civil money penalties in CFPB administrative action
On August 4, an Administrative Law Judge (ALJ) recommended that a Delaware-based online payday lender and its CEO be held liable for violations of TILA, CFPA, and the EFTA and pay restitution of $38 million and $12.5 million in civil penalties in a CFPB administrative action. As previously covered...
InfoBytes24 state attorneys general reject CFPB’s time-barred debt proposal
On August 4, twenty-four state attorneys general responded to the CFPB’s request for comments on its proposed supplemental debt collection rule (the “Supplemental Proposed Rule”) arguing it does not “adequately protect[] consumers’ rights.” As previously covered by a Buckley Special Alert , the...
InfoBytesConsumer groups sue CFPB over HMDA threshold increase
On July 30, a group of consumer fair housing associations (collectively, “plaintiffs”) filed suit against the CFPB, challenging the Bureau’s final rule permanently raising coverage thresholds for collecting and reporting data about closed-end mortgage loans and open-end lines of credit under HMDA...
InfoBytesCFPB updates HMDA FAQs
On July 28, the CFPB updated its HMDA FAQs to include new guidance covering the reporting of certain data points related to the credit decision. Specifically, the FAQs state that credit underwriting data such as credit score, debt-to-income ratio, and combined loan-to-value ratio must be reported...
InfoBytesCFPB requests input on ways to prevent credit discrimination
On July 28, the CFPB issued a request for information (RFI) seeking input on ways to create a regulatory environment that expands credit access and ensures consumers and communities are protected from discrimination with respect to any aspect of a credit transaction. The RFI seeks comments to “...
InfoBytesCFPB to release ANPR on consumer access to financial records
On July 24, the CFPB announced plans to issue an Advanced Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (ANPR) on consumer-authorized access to financial records later this year. The future ANPR relates to the February Symposium held by the Bureau covering this subject and Section 1033 of the Dodd-Frank Act, which...
InfoBytesCFPB settles with two mortgage lenders for misleading VA loan advertisements
On July 24, the CFPB announced settlements with two mortgage lenders ( here and here ) for allegedly mailing consumers advertisements for Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) mortgages that allegedly contained misleading statements or lacked required disclosures. According to the Bureau, both...
InfoBytesKraninger discusses semi-annual report and pandemic response at congressional hearings
On July 29, CFPB Director Kathy Kraninger testified at a hearing held by the Senate Banking Committee on the CFPB’s Semi-Annual Report to Congress, which covers the Bureau’s work from October 1, 2019, through March 31, 2020. (Covered by InfoBytes here .) Kraninger’s testimony identified four key...
InfoBytes"Educational tools may bring regulatory risk for fintech cos." by H Joshua Kotin, Michelle L. Rogers, and Kathryn R. Goodman (Law360)
Financial services providers are increasingly combining delivery of products and services with advice designed to help consumers make better-informed financial decisions. Fintech companies, which typically rely upon data and analytics as fundamental components of their business proposition, should...
ArticlesCFPB approves new automatic savings program under CAS Policy
On July 17, the CFPB announced a new Compliance Assistance Statement of Terms Template (CAST Template) under its Compliance Assistance Sandbox (CAS) Policy issued to a company’s program designed to help employees build emergency savings. Specifically, under the approved template , known as “...
InfoBytesForeclosure relief operation ordered to pay $40,000 penalty in CFPB action
On July 23, the CFPB announced that the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California entered a stipulated final judgment and order against a foreclosure relief services company, along with the company’s president/CEO (defendants), resolving CFPB allegations that the defendants engaged...
InfoBytesCFPB adjusts annual dollar amount thresholds under TILA regulations
On July 17, the CFPB released the final rule revising the dollar amounts for provisions implementing the Truth in Lending Act (TILA) and amendments to TILA, including the Credit Card Accountability Responsibility and Disclosure Act of 2009 (CARD Act), the Home Ownership and Equity Protection Act of...
InfoBytesSpecial Alert: CFPB takes first-ever agency redlining action against nonbank lender
On July 15, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau filed a complaint against a Chicago-based nonbank mortgage company alleging fair lending violations predicated, in part, on statements made by the company’s owner and other employees during radio shows and podcasts from 2014 through 2017. The...
InfoBytesHouse hearing on mortgage servicers’ implementation of CARES Act
On July 16, the House Financial Services Committee’s Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations held a hearing entitled “Protecting Homeowners During the Pandemic: Oversight of Mortgage Servicers’ Implementation of the CARES Act.” The subcommittee’s memorandum regarding the hearing discussed,...
InfoBytesCFPB releases updated Covid-19 consumer complaints bulletin
On July 16, the CFPB released a newly updated consumer complaint bulletin analyzing complaints the Bureau has received during the Covid-19 pandemic. The bulletin analyzes complaints mentioning coronavirus-related key words (such as Covid, coronavirus, pandemic, CARES Act, and stimulus) that were...
InfoBytesSpecial Alert: CFPB takes first-ever agency redlining action against nonbank lender
On July 15, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau filed a complaint against a Chicago-based nonbank mortgage company alleging fair lending violations predicated, in part, on statements made by the company’s owner and other employees during radio shows and podcasts from 2014 through 2017. The...
Special AlertsCFPB Consumer Financial Protection Week roundup
As part of the CFPB’s Consumer Financial Protection Week, the Bureau released several reports and tools, including a recently published study analyzing the impact of credit builder loans (CBLs) on consumer credit scores. The study, Targeting Credit Builder Loans: Insights from a Credit Builder Loan...
InfoBytesCFPB takes action against student debt-relief operation
On July 13, the CFPB filed a complaint in federal district court against a nationwide student loan debt-relief business—consisting of two companies, their owners, and four attorneys—for allegedly charging thousands of customers approximately $11.8 million in upfront fees in violation of the...
InfoBytesCFPB reports on debt settlement and credit counseling
On July 10, the CFPB released the latest quarterly consumer credit trends report on debt settlement and credit counseling from 2007 through 2019. The report notes that debt settlements “increased sharply” during the 2008 recession. It also noted that debt settlement activity has been on the rise...
InfoBytesKari K. Hall extensively quoted in Law360 article, “10 years on, Dodd-Frank's compliance overhaul here to stay”
Kari K. Hall was extensively quoted on July 14, 2020 in a Law360 article, “10 years on, Dodd-Frank's compliance overhaul here to stay,” which discussed 10th anniversary of Dodd-Frank and the industry’s investment in their compliance and regulatory efforts, and the content management systems used to...
In The NewsJeffrey P. Naimon quoted in Law360 article, “CFPB settlement would reduce $3.8M sanction to just $22K”
Jeffrey P. Naimon was quoted on July 9, 2020 in a Law360 article, “CFPB settlement would reduce $3.8M sanction to just $22K,” which discussed a pending settlement involving the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and a student loan debt-relief company that would significantly reduce a proposed $3...
In The NewsCFPB proposes settlement with student debt-relief operation
On July 8, the CFPB announced a proposed settlement with a Florida-based student debt-relief company and three of its owners and officers (collectively, “defendants”), which would resolve allegations that the defendants violated the Telemarketing Sales Rule (TSR) by charging advance fees for...
InfoBytesCFPB settles claims with debt relief executive
On July 7, a settlement was reached with another of the defendants in action taken by the CFPB against a mortgage lender and several related individuals and companies (collectively, “the defendants”) for alleged violations of the Consumer Financial Protection Act (CFPA), Telemarketing Sales Rule (...
InfoBytesCFPB seeking innovation in adverse action notices when using artificial intelligence
On July 7, the CFPB released a blog post discussing the use of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML), addressing the regulatory uncertainty that accompanies their use, and encouraging stakeholders to use the Bureau’s innovation programs to address these issues. The blog post notes...
InfoBytesCFPB repeals Payday Rule’s ability-to-pay provisions
On July 7, the CFPB issued the final rule revoking certain underwriting provisions of the agency’s 2017 final rule covering “Payday, Vehicle Title, and Certain High-Cost Installment Loans” (Payday Lending Rule). As previously covered by InfoBytes , the Bureau issued the proposed rule in February...
InfoBytesCFPB ratifies prior regulatory actions in wake of Seila Law
On July 7, the CFPB, “out of an abundance of caution,” ratified several previous actions, including the large majority of the Bureau’s existing regulations, following the U.S. Supreme Court’s opinion in Seila v. Consumer Financial Protection Bureau . As previously covered by a Buckley Special Alert...
InfoBytesCFPB sues company for marketing of high-yield CDs
On July 6, the CFPB filed a complaint in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York against a Delaware financial-services company operating in Florida and New York along with its owner (collectively, “defendants”) for allegedly violating the Consumer Financial Protection Act’s...
InfoBytesCFPB announces Consumer Financial Protection Week
On July 6, the CFPB announced the launch of Consumer Financial Protection Week from July 14 through July 17. Over the course of four days, the Bureau is hosting or participating in multiple virtual events, including (i) a tutorial and overview of the HMDA data browser; (ii) a discussion on the...
InfoBytesCFPB issues proposed rule on Regulation Z HPML escrow exemptions
On July 2, the CFPB issued a notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) to amend Regulation Z, as required by the Economic Growth, Regulatory Relief, and Consumer Protection Act, and exempt certain insured depository institutions and credit unions from the requirement to establish escrow accounts for...
InfoBytesCFPB and OCC to host innovation office hours
On July 2, the CFPB and the OCC announced that they will host joint, virtual “Innovation Office Hours” on July 29-30, as part of the American Consumer Financial Innovation Network (covered by InfoBytes here ). The office hours will be one-on-one meetings, of up to one hour, with representatives...
InfoBytesCFPB’s semi-annual report to Congress discusses Covid-19 response
On July 7, the CFPB issued its semi-annual report to Congress covering the Bureau’s work from October 1, 2019, through March 31, 2020. The report, which is required by the Dodd-Frank Act, addresses, among other things, problems faced by consumers with regard to consumer financial products or...
InfoBytesJeffrey P. Naimon extensively quoted in American Banker article, “FHFA leadership structure on shaky ground after CFPB ruling”
Jeffrey P. Naimon was extensively quoted on July 2, 2020 in an American Banker article, “FHFA leadership structure on shaky ground after CFPB ruling,” which discussed the Supreme Court's ruling that the single-director structure at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau is unconstitutional, and...
In The NewsCFPB announces e-disclosures and HMDA platform Tech Sprints
On June 29, the CFPB announced two Tech Sprints that will “bring together regulators, technologists, software providers, consumer groups, and financial institutions to develop technological solutions to shared compliance challenges.” As previously covered by InfoBytes , the CFPB announced, in...
InfoBytesCFPB releases spring 2020 rulemaking agenda
On June 30, the CFPB released its spring 2020 rulemaking agenda . According to a Bureau announcement, the information details the regulatory matters that the Bureau “expect[s] to focus on” between May 1, 2020 and April 30, 2021. The announcement notes that the agenda was set before the Covid-19...
InfoBytesSpecial Alert: Supreme Court preserves CFPB through severance
The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday issued its long-awaited opinion in Seila Law LLC v. Consumer Financial Protection Bureau , with a 5-4 split along ideological lines holding that the structure of the CFPB is unconstitutional. Specifically, the clause in the underlying statute that requires cause to...
Special AlertsSpecial Alert: Supreme Court preserves CFPB through severance
The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday issued its long-awaited opinion in Seila Law LLC v. Consumer Financial Protection Bureau , with a 5-4 split along ideological lines holding that the structure of the CFPB is unconstitutional. Specifically, the clause in the underlying statute that requires cause to...
InfoBytesCFPB issues interpretive rule on determining underserved areas
On June 23, the CFPB issued an interpretive rule to provide guidance for creditors and others involved in mortgage origination on the CFPB’s process for determining which counties and areas are considered “underserved” for a given calendar year. This interpretive rule supersedes certain parts of...
InfoBytesCFPB settles with contract for deed companies on credit reporting violations
On June 23, the CFPB announced a settlement with several contract for deed companies to resolve allegations that the defendants violated the FCRA and its implementing Regulation V, as well as the Consumer Financial Protection Act, by, among other things, misrepresenting to consumers the necessary...
InfoBytesCFPB launches pilot advisory opinion program to provide regulatory clarity
On June 18, the CFPB launched a pilot advisory opinion program (AO program) to allow entities to submit requests to the Bureau for written guidance in cases of regulatory compliance uncertainty. The pilot AO program procedural rule went into effect June 22, and states that the AO program—...
InfoBytesCFPB updates Remittance Transfer Small Entity Compliance Guide
On June 18, the CFPB updated its Remittance Transfer Small Entity Compliance Guide to reflect the final amendments to the Remittance Transfer Rule (Final Rule) issued by the Bureau in May (covered by InfoBytes here ). Among other things, the Final Rule grants a permanent safe harbor from exact...
InfoBytesConsumer advocacy groups claim CFPB taskforce is illegally chartered
On June 16, several consumer advocacy groups filed a lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts against the CFPB claiming that the Bureau’s Taskforce on Federal Consumer Financial Law was “illegally chartered” and violates the Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA). As...
InfoBytesCFPB eases Covid-19 loss mitigation rules
On June 23, the CFPB issued an interim final rule that provides relief to mortgage servicers from certain Regulation X requirements when offering Covid-19 related loss mitigation options. Among other things, the interim final rule amends Regulation X to temporarily permit servicers to offer...
InfoBytesSpecial Alert: CFPB proposes changes to qualified mortgage definition; delays expiration of “GSE patch” until final rule becomes effective
On June 22, the CFPB released two Notices of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) to address the January 2021 expiration of the so-called GSE Patch for the Qualified Mortgage (QM) Rule. The GSE Patch provided QM status to mortgage loans eligible for purchase by either of the GSEs even if the loans did not...
Special AlertsSpecial Alert: CFPB proposes changes to qualified mortgage definition; delays expiration of “GSE patch” until final rule becomes effective
On June 22, the CFPB released two Notices of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) to address the January 2021 expiration of the so-called GSE Patch for the Qualified Mortgage (QM) Rule. The GSE Patch provided QM status to mortgage loans eligible for purchase by either of the GSEs even if the loans did not...
InfoBytes"School of hard knocks: Federal student loan servicing and the looming federal student loan crisis" by Jeffrey P. Naimon, Sasha Leonhardt, and Sarah B. Meehan (American University Administrative Law Review)
Nearly forty-three million Americans collectively owe $1.5 trillion in outstanding student loan debt. Of that, approximately ten percent of student loan debt is over ninety days delinquent or in default, while the actual delinquency rate is estimated to likely be double this amount due to the fact...
ArticlesKraninger emphasizes need for FCRA and CARES Act compliance
On June 19, CFPB Director Kathy Kraninger spoke during a Consumer Data Industry Association webinar, warning information furnishers and consumer reporting agencies (CRAs) that the Bureau has dedicated significant resources toward enforcement of certain provisions of the CARES Act and the FCRA...
InfoBytesCFPB outlines plans for consumer financial law taskforce
On June 8, the CFPB published a blog post written by Todd Zywicki, the Chair of the Taskforce on Federal Consumer Financial Law, which discusses the future plans of the taskforce. In addition to the March request for information (RFI) seeking input on consumer protection areas for the taskforce to...
InfoBytesFTC shares 2019 enforcement report with CFPB
On June 4, the FTC announced that it submitted its 2019 Annual Financial Acts Enforcement Report to the CFPB. The report covers the FTC’s enforcement activities regarding the Truth in Lending Act (TILA), the Consumer Leasing Act (CLA), and the Electronic Fund Transfer Act (EFTA). Highlights of the...
InfoBytesCFPB issues LIBOR transition materials
On June 4, the CFPB released three documents to assist in the LIBOR transition before its anticipated cessation at the end of 2021. Highlights of the documents include: Notice of Proposed Rulemaking. The Bureau issued a proposed rule to amend Regulation Z to address the sunset of LIBOR, and to...
InfoBytesCFPB updates reverse mortgage servicing examination procedures
On June 1, the CFPB updated its reverse mortgage servicing examination procedures to incorporate current HUD regulations that provide the structure for Home Equity Conversion Mortgage (HECM) products. The updated procedures also add new exam questions to include issues raised in complaints...
InfoBytesCSBS, state regulators express concerns with CFPB taskforce RFI
On June 1, the Conference of State Bank Supervisors (CSBS) submitted a comment letter in response to the CFPB’s Taskforce on Federal Consumer Financial Law’s request for information (RFI). As previously covered by InfoBytes , the taskforce issued the RFI in March seeking input on consumer...
InfoBytesCFPB settles with short-term lenders for $2 million
On June 2, the CFPB announced a settlement with a payday and auto title loan lender and its subsidiaries (collectively, “lender”) resolving allegations that the lender violated the Consumer Financial Protection Act (CFPA) and TILA. Specifically, the Bureau asserts that the lender—which is based in...
InfoBytesCFPB, CSBS issue CARES Act forbearance guidance
On June 4, the CFPB and the Conference of State Bank Supervisors (CSBS) issued joint guidance to assist mortgage servicers in complying with the CARES Act provisions granting a right to forbearance to consumers impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic. In addition to providing a statutory overview of the...
InfoBytesCFPB status report provides Section 1071 implementation updates
On May 26, the CFPB filed its first status report in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California as required under a stipulated settlement reached in February with a group of plaintiffs, including the California Reinvestment Coalition. The settlement (covered by InfoBytes here...
InfoBytesCFPB provides E-Sign consent flexibility due to Covid-19
On June 3, the CFPB released a statement on temporary and targeted flexibility for credit card issuers regarding electronic provision of certain disclosures during the Covid-19 pandemic. The statement highlights that certain credit card issuers are receiving far more calls from consumers seeking...
InfoBytesCourt rejects dismissal of CFPB claims against foreclosure relief services company
On May 20, the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California denied a foreclosure relief services company and its owner’s (collectively, “defendants”) motion to dismiss an action by the CFPB accusing the defendants of violating the Consumer Financial Protection Act (CFPA) and...
InfoBytesCFPB issues Covid-19 remittance rule FAQs
On June 2, the CFPB released Regulation E Remittance Rule FAQs related to the Covid-19 pandemic. The FAQs state that a provider’s failure to deliver remittance transfer funds to a designated recipient by the disclosed date of availability due to a government-mandated closure of commercial activity...
InfoBytesCredit repair trade association sues CFPB over TSR six-month waiting period
On May 21, a credit repair trade association filed a complaint against the CFPB in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida alleging the Bureau violated the credit repair organizations’ First Amendment rights under the Constitution by enforcing a six-month payment waiting period...
InfoBytesCFPB updates HMDA Small Entity Compliance Guide
On May 27, the CFPB issued an updated HMDA Small Entity Compliance Guide to reflect the changes made to Regulation C by the April final rule , which permanently raised coverage thresholds for collecting and reporting data about closed-end mortgage loans and open-end lines of credit (covered by...
InfoBytesCFPB and Massachusetts AG sue credit-repair telemarketers
On May 22, the CFPB and the Massachusetts attorney general announced a joint lawsuit against a credit repair organization and the company’s president and owner (collectively, “defendants”) for allegedly committing deceptive acts and practices in violation of the Consumer Financial Protection Act (...
InfoBytesCFPB approves mortgage servicing and small-dollar lending NAL templates
On May 22, the CFPB announced it issued two no-action letter (NAL) templates. The two templates approved by the Bureau are intended to support financial institutions to better assist struggling consumers during the Covid-19 pandemic. Details of the two approved templates include: Mortgage servicing...
InfoBytesCFPB: March and April set records for most complaints
On May 21, the CFPB issued a consumer complaint bulletin analyzing complaints the Bureau has received during the Covid-19 pandemic. The bulletin analyzes complaints mentioning “COVID, coronavirus, pandemic, or CARES Act” that were received as of May 11. Of the over 143,000 complaints the Bureau has...
InfoBytesSenators question CFPB on student loan servicer examinations
On May 20, several senators, including Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) and Sherrod Brown (D-OH), sent a letter to CFPB Director Kathy Kraninger requesting information regarding the Bureau’s examination of companies that service student loans guaranteed by the federal government. The senators noted...
InfoBytesCFPB further extends comment period for proposed rulemaking on time-barred debt disclosures
On May 19, the CFPB announced a further extension to the comment period on its Supplemental Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) related to time-barred debt disclosures (covered by a Buckley Special Alert ). The NPRM, issued in February, would amend Regulation F, which implements the FDCPA, to...
InfoBytesCFPB reaches $18 million settlement in credit-report scheme
On May 14, the CFPB filed a proposed stipulated final judgment and order in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California against a mortgage lender and several related individuals and companies (collectively, “defendants”) for alleged violations of the Consumer Financial Protection...
InfoBytesCFPB, CSBS issue consumer guide on CARES Act mortgage relief option
On May 15, the CFPB and Conference of State Bank Supervisors jointly issued a Consumer Relief Guide to provide information to homeowners with federally-backed mortgage loans regarding their rights to relief under the CARES Act. The Guide outlines steps for requesting forbearance and provides...
InfoBytesCFPB issues final remittance rule extending safe harbor and providing compliance exceptions
On May 11, the CFPB issued final amendments to the Remittance Transfer Rule (Final Rule), which implements the Electronic Fund Transfer Act and imposes requirements on insured institutions that handle international money transfers—also known as remittance transfers—on behalf of consumers. The Final...
InfoBytesCFPB issues policy statement on billing error responsibilities, two sets of Covid-19 FAQs
On May 13, the CFPB released a policy statement and two FAQ documents outlining the responsibilities of financial firms during the Covid-19 pandemic. The policy statement covers Regulation Z’s billing error resolution timeframe in light of the operational disruptions faced by many merchants and...
InfoBytesFederal agencies launch joint housing assistance website
On May 12, the CFPB, the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA), and the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) announced a new mortgage and housing assistance website , which consolidates the CARES Act mortgage and rent relief protections, tips to avoid Covid-19 related scams, and tools...
InfoBytesCFPB issues 2019 fair lending report to Congress
On April 30, the CFPB issued its annual fair lending report to Congress, which outlines the Bureau’s efforts in 2019 to fulfill its fair lending mandate. According to the report, in 2019 the Bureau continued to focus on promoting fair, equitable, and nondiscriminatory access to credit, highlighting...
InfoBytesCFPB issues FAQs on ECOA and PPP applications
On May 6, the CFPB issued three clarifying FAQs regarding ECOA and Regulation B loan denial and adverse action notice requirements as they relate to the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP). The three FAQs provide the following clarifications of the requirements for notification of action: Notice of...
InfoBytes"Ruling on anti-hacking law may guide fair lending tests" by Jeffrey P. Naimon and H Joshua Kotin (Law360)
Regulators, consumer groups, academics and private litigants are grappling with the fair lending implications of the credit models powering the explosive growth in online lending by banks and financial technology firms. The U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia in late March concluded...
Articles4th Circuit: Disgorgement calculation lacks necessary casual connection between profits and violations
On April 27, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit held that a district court’s disgorgement calculation for a banker found in contempt of a consent order rested on “an erroneous legal interpretation of the terms of the underlying consent order” and “lacked the necessary causal...
InfoBytesCFPB partially grants confidentiality request and modifies CID’s notification of purpose
On April 13, the CFPB released a Supplemental Decision and Order partially granting a payment technology company’s request for confidential treatment of its petition that sought to set aside a 2019 CID seeking information related to, among other things, the company’s payment processing activities...
InfoBytesCFPB: Substantial decline in credit applications in March
On May 1, the CFPB released a report examining the early effects of the Covid-19 pandemic on credit applications in March, concluding there was a substantial decline compared to previous years. Specifically, the report compared “hard inquiry” volume from credit checks for auto loans, mortgages, and...
InfoBytesCFPB enhances Consumer Complaint Database
On April 27, the CFPB announced enhancements to its Consumer Complaint Database . With the addition of a geospatial view, consumers will now be able to view complaints by state using an interactive map. Additional new options will also allow users to view recent marketplace conditions and aggregate...
InfoBytesCFPB eases filing deadlines for certain ILSA and Regulation J reports
On April 27, the CFPB released guidance in order to provide “flexibility and reduce administrative burden” for land developers that are subject to the Interstate Land Sales Full Disclosure Act (ILSA). The Bureau explains that in light of the impacts of Covid-19, it will not take supervisory or...
InfoBytesCFPB asks FCC to allow financial institutions to make certain Covid-19-related calls
On April 27, the CFPB sent a letter to the FCC in support of a petition filed at the end of March by several financial trade associations, which seeks an expedited ruling to allow financial institutions to make certain automated calls concerning Covid-19 relief options without violating the TCPA...
InfoBytesCFPB outlines lending discrimination warning signs for small businesses applying for PPP loans
On April 27, the CFPB posted a reminder that federal laws such as ECOA protect business owners from discrimination on the basis of protected characteristics when applying for loans under the CARES Act Small Business Administration’s Paycheck Protection Program or other loan programs. The Bureau’s...
InfoBytesCFPB guidance provides clarity to mortgage servicing transfers
On April 24, the CFPB outlined new guidance to help facilitate compliance with mortgage servicing rules when transferring mortgage servicing rights to a servicer or a sub-servicer. According to the CFPB, after significant changes were made to Regulation X (RESPA) that took effect in 2014, the...
InfoBytesCFPB video instructs non-tax filers how to receive stimulus payments
On April 21, the CFPB announced the release of a video—aimed at consumers who do not file taxes—that describes the steps those consumers should take in order to receive their economic impact payments. The video explains that most Americans will automatically receive their economic stimulus payments...
InfoBytesCFPB to host conference call on Covid-19 financial issues
On April 16, the CFPB published notices in the Federal Register announcing that the Bureau’s four advisory boards will host a May 1 combined open conference call to address the Covid-19 pandemic’s effects on consumers. The first half of this public meeting, which is scheduled to begin at 2:00 pm...
InfoBytesCFPB raises HMDA reporting thresholds
On April 16, the CFPB issued a final rule permanently raising coverage thresholds for collecting and reporting data about closed-end mortgage loans and open-end lines of credit under HMDA. As previously covered by InfoBytes , these changes were first proposed by the Bureau last May. The final rule...
InfoBytesFDIC updates Covid-19 FAQs for financial institutions
On April 15, the FDIC released updates to its list of Covid-19 frequently asked questions (FAQs) for financial institutions. The FAQs were originally released on March 19, covering bank operational issues and urging banks to work with borrowers who are experiencing payment difficulties due to Covid...
InfoBytesJeffrey P. Naimon quoted in American Banker article, “CFPB rulemaking engine churns on through coronavirus”
Jeffrey P. Naimon was quoted on April 15, 2020 in an American Banker article, “CFPB rulemaking engine churns on through coronavirus,” which discussed the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s plan to move forward with rulemaking despite the industry’s shifted focus on the economy during the...
In The NewsCFPB and FHFA announce Borrower Protection Program
On April 15, the CFPB and the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) announced the launch of the joint Borrower Protection Program to address mortgage servicer performance during the Covid-19 emergency. The two regulators will share information about how responsive mortgage servicers are to requests...
InfoBytesCFPB releases resources for servicemembers affected by Covid-19
On April 15, the CFPB issued a blog post providing resources for servicemembers, veterans, and military families impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic. The Bureau discusses military aid societies where servicemembers and military families can apply for emergency grants and zero-interest loans, and...
InfoBytesStates ask Treasury to exempt stimulus payments from garnishment and urge CFPB to “vigorously enforce” FCRA
On April 13, a coalition of state attorneys general and the Hawaii Office of Consumer Protection (states) sent a letter to Treasury Secretary Steven T. Mnuchin, calling for immediate action to ensure that stimulus checks issued under the CARES Act to consumers affected by the Covid-19 pandemic are...
InfoBytesCFPB issues guidance allowing pandemic relief payment distribution with prepaid cards
On April 13, the CFPB issued an Interpretive Rule (IR) addressing the “Treatment of Pandemic Relief Payments Under Regulation E and Application of the Compulsory Use Prohibition.” Pursuant to the CARES Act, many consumers are entitled to pandemic relief payments, generally provided through direct...
InfoBytesCFPB announces regulatory flexibility after remittance transfer rule exception expires
On April 10, the CFPB announced the release of a policy statement “Supervisory and Enforcement Practices Regarding the Remittance Rule in Light of the COVID-19 Pandemic” addressing the implementation of the Electronic Fund Transfer Act (EFTA), and the Regulation E Remittance Rule (Rule). EFTA’s...
InfoBytesCFPB updates Covid-19 student loan debt relief guidance for borrowers
On April 9, the CFPB released updated guidance for student loan borrowers during the Covid-19 pandemic. As previously covered by InfoBytes , the Bureau first released student loan borrower information on March 27, which covered debt relief provided by the CARES Act, including the automatic freeze...
InfoBytesCFPB publishes annual report on servicemember complaints
On April 3, the CFPB Office of Servicemember Affairs (OSA) released its annual report , which provides an overview of OSA’s activities in fulfilling its statutory responsibilities for fiscal year 2019 and covers the period between October 1, 2018 and September 30, 2019. OSA’s responsibilities...
InfoBytesAgencies revise reporting guidance during Covid-19 pandemic
On April 7, the Federal Reserve (Fed), FDIC, OCC, CFPB, and NCUA (agencies) issued a revised interagency statement for financial institutions regarding loan modifications for customers affected by Covid-19. As previously covered by InfoBytes , the agencies issued the initial interagency statement...
InfoBytesCFPB releases PPP information for small businesses
On April 6, the CFPB released information regarding the CARES Act Paycheck Protection Program (PPP). According to the Bureau, PPP was designed to help small businesses provide job retention for employees and cover certain other costs during the Covid-19 pandemic. Small businesses, as well as...
InfoBytesSenators seek protection against predatory lending practices during Covid-19 pandemic
On April 6, Senators Richard Durbin (D-IL) and Sherrod Brown (D-OH) sent a letter to the federal financial regulators (Federal Reserve Board, FDIC, OCC, CFPB, and NCUA), asking them to issue guidance and lending principles to help protect small businesses and consumers affected by Covid-19 from...
InfoBytesCFPB releases video to explain mortgage forbearance
On April 3, the CFPB announced the release of a video , which seeks to explain mortgage forbearance provided pursuant to the CARES Act. The announcement provides links to additional resources for consumers experiencing financial hardship due to the Covid-19 pandemic. In addition to the video, the...
InfoBytesCFPB fines short-term lender $1.3 million for unfair and deceptive acts and practices
On April 1, the CFPB announced a $1.3 million settlement with a Texas-based short-term lender to resolve allegations that the lender violated the Consumer Financial Protection Act, FCRA, and TILA. The Bureau alleged that while “marketing, servicing, and collecting on high-interest payday, auto-...
InfoBytesCFPB states commitment to protecting consumers through continued examination and supervisory work
On April 1, the CFPB published a statement which assured that the Bureau will continue to perform examinations and other supervisory work during the Covid-19 pandemic, reinforcing the Bureau’s mission to protect consumers. The statement explains that the Bureau is taking advantage of technology to...
InfoBytesCFPB plans credit reporting supervisory flexibility during Covid-19 pandemic, contingent on accurate reporting
On April 1, the CFPB issued a policy statement directed at consumer reporting agencies (CRAs) and furnishers. Taking into consideration the Covid-19 pandemic, the statement explains that the Bureau will take a “flexible supervisory and enforcement approach during this pandemic regarding compliance...
InfoBytesFinancial institution regulators provide Covid-19 mortgage servicer guidance
On April 3, the Federal Reserve (Fed), CSBS, CFPB, FDIC, NCUA, and the OCC (agencies) jointly announced an interagency statement (Joint Statement) to clarify the agencies’ supervisory and enforcement approach “regarding certain consumer communications required by the mortgage servicing rules” under...
InfoBytesCFPB issues 2019 Consumer Response Annual Report
On March 31, the CFPB published its Consumer Response Annual Report , providing a review of the Bureau’s complaint process and a description of complaints received from consumers in all 50 states and the District of Columbia between January 1 and December 31, 2019. According to the report, the...
InfoBytesCFPB taskforce seeks input on consumer financial protection law improvements
On March 27, the CFPB’s Taskforce on Federal Consumer Financial Law issued a request for information (RFI) seeking input on consumer protection areas for the taskforce to focus its research and analysis, and requesting suggestions for “harmonizing, modernizing, and updating the federal consumer...
InfoBytesCFPB issues guidance for Covid-19 mortgage relief options
On March 31, the CFPB released guidance for consumers who have been negatively impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic and may have difficulty making mortgage or rent payments. Pursuant to the recently passed CARES Act, for homeowners with federally backed mortgages, no foreclosures may be initiated for...
InfoBytesCFPB issues guidance to student loan borrowers on Covid-19 debt relief
On March 27, the CFPB issued guidance on the student loan provisions of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. Pursuant to the Act, borrowers with federally held student loans will automatically have their loan principal and interest payments paused until September 30...
InfoBytes2nd Circuit: Confirmation email to consumer satisfies EFTA’s written authorization requirement
On March 20, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit partially affirmed a district court’s order granting summary judgment in favor of one of two defendants on plaintiff’s Electronic Funds Transfer Act (EFTA) claims, holding that the defendant satisfied its EFTA obligations by providing...
InfoBytesBanking regulators urge small-dollar lending during Covid-19 crisis
On March 26, the FDIC, Federal Reserve Board, CFPB, NCUA, and OCC issued a joint statement encouraging banks, savings associations, and credit unions to offer responsible, small-dollar loans to consumers and small businesses affected by Covid-19. The agencies recognize that small-dollar lending can...
InfoBytesCFPB outlines regulatory flexibility related to Covid-19
On March 26, the CFPB announced several regulatory flexibility measures to help financial companies work with consumers affected by Covid-19. Specifically, the measures postpone certain industry data collections on Bureau-related rules. These include: HMDA. Quarterly information reporting by...
InfoBytesCFPB extends comment period for proposed rulemaking on time-barred debt disclosures; CFPB and FTC release 2019 FDCPA report
On March 20, the CFPB announced it was extending the comment period on its Supplemental Notice of Proposed Rulemaking related to time-barred debt disclosures (covered by a Buckley Special Alert ) for an additional 30 days. Given the challenges created by Covid-19, the comment period will now end...
InfoBytesCFPB announces consumer financial resources for Covid-19 pandemic
On March 24, the CFPB announced the resources available on the Bureau’s website to assist consumers in protecting their personal finances during the Covid-19 pandemic. According to Director Kathy Kraninger, the Bureau “want[s] consumers to know the various steps they can take to help themselves or...
InfoBytes5th Circuit will review CFPB constitutionality case en banc
On March 20, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit issued an opinion ordering that—“on the Court’s own motion”—it will conduct an en banc hearing on whether the CFPB’s single-director leadership structure is constitutional. The order vacates the appellate court’s March 3 opinion (covered...
InfoBytesAgencies issue joint statement on loan modifications and reporting for financial institutions
On March 22, the Federal Reserve Board (Fed), CFPB, FDIC, NCUA, OCC, and Conference of State Bank Supervisors (CSBS) issued an “Interagency Statement on Loan Modifications and Reporting for Financial Institutions Working with Customers Affected by the Coronavirus” to address the “unique and...
InfoBytesWarren and Brown question CFPB on auto lending policies
On March 12, Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) and Sherrod Brown (D-OH) sent a letter to CFPB Director Kathy Kraninger expressing concerns over the Bureau’s oversight of the auto lending market. The Senators contend that the Bureau has not taken any auto lending enforcement actions since Kraninger...
InfoBytesCFPB provides consumers with Covid-19 guidance
The CFPB is maintaining a website with steps consumers can take to protect themselves from the financial impact of Covid-19. The website includes guidance on steps to take in the event of difficulty meeting mortgage payment obligations, working with housing counselors, questions relating to credit...
InfoBytesSenate Democrats’ minority report criticizes the CFPB
On March 10, Senate Banking Committee Ranking Member Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) released a minority staff report titled “Consumers Under Attack: The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau under Director Kraninger.” Specifically, the report faulted the Bureau for, among other allegations, purportedly...
InfoBytesKraninger fields COVID-19 questions at Senate hearing
On March 10, CFPB Director Kathy Kraninger testified at a Senate Banking Committee hearing regarding the Bureau’s Semi-Annual Report to Congress. The hearing examined the report (covered by InfoBytes here ), which outlines the Bureau’s work from April 1, 2019, through September 30, 2019. In her...
InfoBytesMaryland Court of Appeals reverses trial court approval of settlement for interfering with CPD action
On March 3, the Maryland Court of Appeals reversed a trial court’s approval of a proposed settlement in a class action based on fraudulently induced assignments of annuity payments. The class members were recipients of structured settlement annuities from lead paint exposure claims who responded to...
InfoBytesCFPB sues regional bank for sales practices
On March 9, the CFPB filed a complaint in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois against a regional bank for alleged violations of TILA, the Truth in Savings Act and the Consumer Financial Protection Act relating to the bank’s sales practices. According to the complaint, the...
InfoBytes5th Circuit: Non-party plaintiff cannot bring action to enforce violation of CFPB consent order
On March 4, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit affirmed summary judgment in favor of a debt collector (defendant) accused of violating the FDCPA and the terms of a CFPB consent order. According to the opinion, the defendant attempted to collect a credit card debt from the plaintiff...
InfoBytesCFPB announces advisory opinion program, updates business conduct bulletin, proposes whistleblower award legislation
On March 6, the CFPB announced three new measures it is undertaking to prevent customer harm, including (i) implementing an advisory opinion program; (ii) updating its bulletin regarding responsible business conduct; and (iii) advancing whistleblower award legislation through engagement with...
InfoBytes5th Circuit: CFPB structure is constitutional
On March 3, the same day the U.S. Supreme Court heard oral arguments in Seila Law LLC v. CFPB (covered by InfoBytes here ), a divided U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit held that the CFPB’s single-director structure is constitutional, finding no constitutional defect with allowing the...
InfoBytesSupreme Court hears arguments on CFPB’s structure
On March 3, the U.S. Supreme Court heard oral arguments in Seila Law LLC v. CFPB to consider whether the Constitution prohibits an agency being led by a single director who cannot be removed at will by the President. In addition, the arguments addressed the question of the appropriate remedy if the...
InfoBytesCFPB denies tribal lenders’ joint request to set aside CIDs
On February 18, the CFPB released a Decision and Order denying a joint request to set aside civil investigative demands (CIDs) issued in 2019 to four online installment lenders owned by a federally recognized Indian tribe, as well as a processing services company. The CIDs in dispute were issued to...
InfoBytesCFPB agrees to publish small-business data proposal by September
On February 26, the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California approved a stipulated settlement between plaintiffs, including the California Reinvestment Coalition (CRC), and the CFPB to resolve a 2019 lawsuit that sought an order compelling the Bureau to issue a final rule...
InfoBytesCFPB holds symposium on consumer access to financial records
On February 26, the CFPB held a symposium covering consumer access to financial records and Section 1033 of the Dodd-Frank Act, which deals with consumers’ rights to access information about their financial accounts. In her opening remarks, Director Kathy Kraninger pointed out three major changes...
InfoBytesCFPB releases TRID FAQs
On February 26, the CFPB released 10 new lender credit FAQs to assist with TILA-RESPA Integrated Disclosure Rule (TRID Rule) compliance. Highlights from the FAQs are listed below: “[L]ender credits include [(i)] payments, such as credits, rebates, and reimbursements, that a creditor provides to a...
InfoBytesKraninger: ATR/QM, Remittance Rules expected in May
On February 25, in a speech before the Credit Union National Association Government Affairs Conference, CFPB Director Kathy Kraninger discussed the Bureau’s rulemaking approach in the consumer financial marketplace. Specifically, Kraninger reminded attendees that the Bureau’s Advance Notice of...
InfoBytesSpecial Alert: CFPB releases Supplemental Notice of Proposed Rulemaking on Time-Barred Debt Disclosures
On February 21, the CFPB issued a Supplemental Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) to amend Regulation F, which implements the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA), to require debt collectors to make certain disclosures when collecting time-barred debts (the “Supplemental Proposed Rule”)...
InfoBytesCFPB denies debt collection law firm’s request to set aside CID
On February 10, the CFPB denied a debt collection law firm’s request to modify or set aside a third-party Civil Investigative Demand (CID) issued to the firm by the Bureau while investigating possible violations of the FDCPA, CFPA, and the FCRA. As previously covered by InfoBytes , the Bureau also...
InfoBytesFTC gives annual ECOA summary to CFPB
On February 21, the FTC announced it recently provided the CFPB with its annual summary of work on ECOA-related policy issues, focusing specifically on the Commission’s activities with respect to Regulation B. The summary discusses, among other things, the following FTC research and policy...
InfoBytesCFPB requests 14% increase for FY 2020
In February, CFPB Director Kathy Kraninger submitted a budget proposal seeking, among other things, a 13.7 percent increase for fiscal year (FY) 2020. Notably, the increase runs counter to President Trump’s FY 2019 and FY 2020 budgets, which sought budget cuts for the CFPB of $147 million and $23...
InfoBytesFHFA, CFPB release new dataset from National Survey of Mortgage Originations
On February 20, the FHFA and the CFPB announced the release of a new loan-level dataset collected through the National Survey of Mortgage Originations (NSMO). Since 2014, every quarter the FHFA and the CFPB send the NSMO survey to borrowers who recently obtained a mortgage to gather feedback on...
InfoBytesCFPB symposium on consumer access to financial records set for February 26
On February 20, the CFPB announced that its fourth symposium, regarding Consumer Access to Financial Records and Section 1033 of the Dodd-Frank Act, will be held February 26 at 9:30 am EST. The event will be webcast on the Bureau’s website . According to the Bureau, Section 1033 “addresses...
InfoBytesCFPB, South Carolina, and Arkansas file charges in pension-advance scheme
On February 20, the CFPB, the South Carolina Department of Consumer Affairs, and the Arkansas attorney general filed a complaint in the U.S. District Court for the District of South Carolina against a South Carolina-based company and two of its managing partners (defendants) for allegedly violating...
InfoBytesU.S. Solicitor General: Supreme Court can decide on severability clause without deciding CFPB's future
On February 14, U.S. Solicitor General Noel J. Francisco filed a reply brief for the CFPB in Seila Law LLC v. CFPB , arguing that the U.S. Supreme Court could decide whether the CFPB’s single-director structure violates the Constitution’s separation of powers under Article II without deciding...
InfoBytesCFPB issues Winter 2020 Supervisory Highlights
On February 14, the CFPB released its winter 2020 Supervisory Highlights , which details its supervisory and enforcement actions in the areas of student loan servicing, payday lending, debt collection, and mortgage servicing. The findings of the report, which are published to assist entities in...
InfoBytesCFPB updates FCRA exam procedures
On February 11, the CFPB issued updates to its Supervision and Examination Manual to include requirements of the FCRA created by the Economic Growth, Regulatory Relief, and Consumer Protection Act. The updates apply to the examination procedures covering consumer reporting, larger participants, and...
InfoBytesFFIEC releases 2020 HMDA reporting guide
On February 13, the FDIC issued FIL-9-2020 announcing the Federal Financial Institutions Examinations Council’s issuance of the 2020 edition of the “Guide to HMDA Reporting: Getting It Right!” The guide applies to HMDA data collected in 2020 that will be reported to supervisory agencies by March 1...
InfoBytesCFPB denies debt collector’s request to set aside CID
On February 6, the CFPB released a Decision and Order denying a debt collection company’s (petitioner) request to set aside or modify a third-party Civil Investigative Demand (CID) issued by the Bureau, and directing the petitioner to provide all information required by the CID. The CID in dispute...
InfoBytesKraninger testifies at House hearing; final payday rule expected in April
On February 6, CFPB Director Kathy Kraninger testified at a House Financial Services Committee hearing on the CFPB’s Semi-Annual Report to Congress. (Covered by InfoBytes here .) The hearing covered the semi-annual report to Congress on the Bureau’s work from April 1, 2019, through September 30,...
InfoBytesCFPB settles UDAAP allegations with Texas payday lender
On February 5, the CFPB announced a settlement with a Texas-based payday lender and six subsidiaries (defendants) for allegedly assisting in the collection of online installment loans and online lines of credit that consumers were not legally obligated to pay based on certain states’ usury laws or...
InfoBytesCFPB, DOE sign MOU on student loan complaint data
On February 3, the CFPB and the Department of Education (Department) announced a new agreement to share student loan complaint data. (See press releases here and here .) The newly signed Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) is the first information sharing agreement between the agencies since the...
InfoBytesCFPB issues semi-annual report to Congress
On February 3, the CFPB issued its semi-annual report to Congress covering the Bureau’s work from April 1, 2019, through September 30, 2019. The report, which is required by the Dodd-Frank Act, addresses, among other things, problems faced by consumers with regard to consumer financial products or...
InfoBytesNational bank to challenge CFPB on cards suit
On January 30, the CFPB announced that it filed suit in the U.S. District Court for the District of Rhode Island against a national bank (defendant) based upon alleged violations of the Truth in Lending Act (TILA) and its implementing Regulation Z, the Fair Credit Billing Act (FCBA), and the Credit...
InfoBytesCFPB updates HMDA Small Entity Compliance Guide
On January 24, the CFPB published the HMDA Small Entity Compliance Guide with updates to integrate the HMDA final rule issued in October. According to the guide, HMDA rule changes include (i) the types of institutions and transactions that are subject to Regulation C; (ii) the information that...
InfoBytesParties file amicus briefs in CFPB constitutionality challenge
On January 22, a coalition of attorneys general from 23 states and the District of Columbia filed an amicus brief in Seila Law LLC v. CFPB arguing that the U.S. Supreme Court should preserve the CFPB and other consumer protections provide under Title X of Dodd-Frank. Last October the Court granted...
InfoBytesCFPB formalizes “Compliance Aids” policy
On January 27, the CFPB published a policy statement announcing a new designation for certain guidance material. The non-binding “Compliance Aids” are intended to assist financial institutions when complying with laws and regulations, but are not rules, and are therefore exempt from the...
InfoBytesCFPB issues statement intended to clarify “abusive” practices
On January 24, the CFPB issued a policy statement applicable immediately to provide a “common-sense framework” for how the Bureau plans to apply the “abusiveness” standard in supervision and enforcement matters as authorized under Dodd-Frank. Under the new policy statement, the Bureau will only...
InfoBytes7th Circuit says “time sensitive document” on envelope violates FDCPA
On January 21, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit partially reversed a district court’s dismissal of an action concerning a debt collector’s use of language or symbols other than the collector’s address on an envelope sent to a consumer. According to the opinion, the consumer...
InfoBytesKraninger outlines plan to extend GSE patch, previews QM Rule
According to sources, on January 17, CFPB Director Kathy Kraninger sent a letter to prominent members of Congress announcing plans to extend the qualified mortgage patch—which exempts loans eligible for purchase by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac (GSEs) from the Qualified Mortgage (QM) Rule’s 43 percent...
InfoBytesBasis for invalidating CFPB is “remarkably weak,” says court-appointed defender
On January 15, Paul Clement, the lawyer selected by the U.S. Supreme Court to defend the leadership structure of the CFPB, filed a brief in Seila Law LLC v. CFPB arguing that Seila Law’s constitutionality arguments are “remarkably weak” and that “a contested removal is the proper context to address...
InfoBytesCFPB denies petitioner’s request to postpone CID pending Seila decision
On December 26, the CFPB denied a petition by a student loan relief company to modify or set aside a civil investigative demand (CID) issued by the Bureau last October. According to the company’s petition , the CID requested information as part of an investigation into the company’s promotion of...
InfoBytesSenate Democrats ask IG to investigate CFPB restitution penalties
On January 13, fifteen Democratic Senators, led by Senators Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV) and Sherrod Brown (D-OH) sent a letter to the Inspector General of the Federal Reserve Board calling for an investigation into the CFPB’s restitution penalties levied against companies accused of wrongdoing...
InfoBytesCFPB and Utah AG to hold joint office hours in Salt Lake City
On January 9, the CFPB and the Utah attorney general’s office announced that the first of the American Consumer Financial Innovation Network’s (ACFIN) joint office hours will be held in Salt Lake City, Utah on January 30. The CFPB’s announcement states that the office hours are intended to “provide...
InfoBytesCFPB issues NAL on housing counselors
On January 10, the CFPB issued its second no-action letter (NAL) under the agency’s revised NAL Policy that was issued last September. The new NAL Policy’s goal is to streamline the review process to “focus[ ] on the consumer benefits and risks of the product or service in question.” As previously...
InfoBytesCalifornia governor proposes strengthening state consumer protection authority and increasing financial innovation
On January 10, the California governor submitted his proposal for California’s 2020-2021 state budget , which would, among other things, include the creation and administration of the California Consumer Protection Law (Law). The governor’s budget summary indicates that “[t]he federal government’s...
InfoBytesCFPB files claims against debt relief companies
On January 9, the CFPB announced that it filed a complaint in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California against a mortgage lender, a mortgage brokerage, and several student loan debt relief companies (collectively, “the defendants”), for allegedly violating the FCRA, TSR, and...
InfoBytesDistrict Court stays proceedings in structured settlement case pending outcome of Seila Law
On December 23, the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland granted a motion to stay in an action between the CFPB and parties of a structured-settlement company, pending the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in CFPB v. Seila Law . According to the court, a decision in Seila Law that the CFPB’...
InfoBytesCFPB releases annual college credit card report
On December 31, the CFPB released its annual report to Congress on college credit card agreements. The report was prepared pursuant to the CARD Act, which requires card issuers to submit to the CFPB the terms and conditions of any agreements they make with colleges, as well as certain organizations...
InfoBytesCFPB releases TILA, EFTA, and CARD Act annual report
On December 18, the CFPB issued its mandated annual report to Congress covering activity in 2016 and 2017 pertaining to the Truth in Lending Act (TILA), the Electronic Fund Transfer Act (EFTA), and the Credit Card Accountability Responsibility and Disclosure Act (CARD Act). The report describes...
InfoBytesDemocratic Senators question Kraninger on student loan servicer oversight
On December 17, eight Senate Democrats wrote to CFPB Director Kathy Kraninger urging the Bureau to fulfill its statutory obligations related to the oversight of student loan servicers who collect loans guaranteed by the federal government. In the letter, the Senators express concern over what they...
InfoBytesCFPB releases annual HMDA and TILA adjustments
On December 18, the CFPB announced final rules adjusting the asset-size thresholds under HMDA (Regulation C) and TILA (Regulation Z). Both rules take effect on January 1, 2020. Under HMDA, institutions with assets below certain dollar thresholds are exempt from the collection and reporting...
InfoBytesLawsuit says Prepaid Accounts Rule is “arbitrary and capricious”
On December 11, a payments company filed a lawsuit against the CFPB in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia alleging that the Bureau’s Prepaid Account Rule (Rule), which took effect April 1 and provides protections for prepaid account consumers, exceeds the agency’s statutory...
InfoBytesCFPB issues Supervisory Highlights special edition on consumer reporting
On December 9, the CFPB released a special edition of its fall 2019 Supervisory Highlights , focusing on recent supervisory findings in the areas of consumer reporting and information furnishing to consumer reporting companies (CRCs). This is the second special edition to focus on consumer...
InfoBytesKraninger 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...
InfoBytesBriefs filed in Supreme Court CFPB constitutionality challenge
On December 9, parties filed briefs in Seila Law LLC v. CFPB . As previously covered by InfoBytes , the U.S. Supreme Court granted cert in Seila to answer the question of whether an independent agency led by a single director violates the Constitution’s separation of powers under Article II, while...
InfoBytesWarren and Brown question CFPB advisory opinion plans
On December 5, Senators Elizabeth Warren and Sherrod Brown wrote a letter to CFPB Director Kathy Kraninger seeking information regarding the Bureau’s plans for a program to issue formal advisory opinions. As previously covered by InfoBytes , the CFPB in September announced three new policies to “...
InfoBytesCFPB reexamines the effect of NCAP on credit scores and credit performance
On December 10, the CFPB released the latest quarterly consumer credit trends report , which evaluated the extent to which removal of public records from credit reports affects consumer credit scores and credit performance. As previously covered by InfoBytes , the three major U.S. credit reporting...
InfoBytesRegulators issue joint statement on using alternative data in underwriting
On December 3, the Federal Reserve, the CFPB, the FDIC, the NCUA, and the OCC (agencies) issued an Interagency Statement on alternative data use in credit underwriting, highlighting applicable consumer protection laws and noting risks and benefits. (See press release here ). According to the...
InfoBytesCFPB to amend Remittance Transfer Rule
On December 3, the CFPB issued a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) relating to the Remittance Transfer Rule (Rule), which implements the Electronic Fund Transfer Act’s (EFTA) protections for consumers sending international money transfers, or remittance transfers. The NPRM makes three proposals...
InfoBytesKraninger hints at new consent order policy
On November 22, in a speech at The Clearing House + Bank Policy Institute Annual Conference, CFPB Director Kathy Kraninger noted that the Bureau is considering changes to its consent order process to “ensur[e] consent orders remain in effect only as long as needed to achieve their desired effects...
InfoBytesWarren and Brown ask CFPB for breakdown on fair lending enforcement
On November 25, Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass) and Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) wrote to CFPB Director Kathy Kraninger requesting a breakdown of how the Bureau enforces fair lending laws in light of recent allegations brought against a global financial services company that reportedly offered lower...
InfoBytesCFPB settles with two military loan companies
On November 25, the CFPB announced a settlement with two companies that originated and serviced travel-related loans for military servicemembers and their families. According to the consent order with the lender and its principal, the lender (i) charged fees to customers who obtained financing, at...
InfoBytesCFPB examines student loan borrowers enrolled in IDR plans
On November 22, the CFPB released a new Data Point report from the Office of Research titled “Borrower Experiences on Income-Driven Repayment,” which examines, among other things, the types of student loan borrowers who participate in income-driven repayment (IDR) plans, the evolution of borrower...
InfoBytesCFPB reaches $8.5 million settlement with background screening company
On November 22, the CFPB announced a settlement with an employment background screening company resolving allegations that the company violated the FCRA. In the complaint , the Bureau asserts that the company failed to “employ reasonable procedures to assure maximum possible accuracy” in the...
InfoBytesFCRA allowable disclosure charge remains unchanged
On November 27, the CFPB announced that the ceiling on the maximum allowable charge for disclosures by a consumer reporting agency to a consumer pursuant to section 609 of the FCRA will remain unchanged at $12.50 for the 2020 calendar year. The final rule announcing the amount was published the...
InfoBytesCFPB report compares large and small mortgage servicers
On November 21, the CFPB released a new Data Point report from the Office of Research titled, “Servicer Size in the Mortgage Market,” which examines the differences between large and small mortgage servicers in the mortgage market. The report considers mortgage servicers in three size categories, (...
InfoBytesCFPB publishes fall 2019 rulemaking agenda
On November 20, the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs released the CFPB’s fall 2019 rulemaking agenda . According to a Bureau announcement , the information released represents regulatory matters it “reasonably anticipates having under consideration during the period from October 1, 2019...
InfoBytesDistrict Court enters stipulated final judgment against debt collector
On November 15, the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia entered a stipulated final judgment and order to resolve allegations concerning one of the defendants cited in a 2015 action taken against an allegedly illegal debt collection operation. As previously covered by InfoBytes...
InfoBytesCFPB says some organizations won’t need to comply with screening and training requirements for temporary MLOs
On November 15, the CFPB issued an interpretive rule , which clarifies the screening and training requirements for mortgage loan originators (MLOs) with temporary authority under Regulation Z. As previously covered by InfoBytes , Section 106 of Economic Growth, Regulatory Relief, and Consumer...
InfoBytesJeffrey P. Naimon quoted in American Banker article, “How much should banks fear a Democratic victory in 2020?”
Jeffrey P. Naimon was quoted on November 17, 2019 in an American Banker article, “How much should banks fear a Democratic victory in 2020?” which discussed that despite the aggressive stances of some Democrats running for president, the election of a progressive candidate is unlikely to result in...
In The NewsCFPB argues private class action settlement interferes with its CFPA enforcement authority
On November 6, the CFPB filed an amicus brief with the Court of Appeals of Maryland in a case challenging a private class action settlement against a structured settlement company, which purports to “release the Bureau’s claims in a pending federal action, to enjoin class members from receiving...
InfoBytesGovernment says CFPB should have authority to continue enforcement actions even if declared unconstitutional
On November 6, the CFPB and the DOJ filed a brief with the U.S. Supreme Court arguing that the Bureau should still “have the authority to commence or continue enforcement proceedings” in the event that the Court declares the Bureau’s structure unconstitutional. The brief was filed in response to a...
InfoBytesCFPB holds small business lending symposium
On November 6, the CFPB held a symposium covering small business lending and Section 1071 of the Dodd-Frank Act, which amends ECOA to require financial institutions to compile, maintain, and submit to the Bureau certain information concerning credit applications by women-owned, minority-owned, and...
InfoBytesDistrict Court orders millions in restitution and civil penalties against two foreclosure relief companies
On November 4, the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Wisconsin ordered restitution and disgorgement, civil penalties, and permanent injunctive relief in an action brought by the CFPB against two former foreclosure relief companies and their principals (collectively, “defendants”) for...
InfoBytesAgencies adjust threshold for Regulations Z and M
On October 31, the CFPB and the Federal Reserve Board finalized the annual dollar threshold adjustments that govern the application of Regulation Z (Truth in Lending Act) and Regulation M (Consumer Leasing Act) to credit transactions, as required by the Dodd-Frank Act (published in the Federal...
InfoBytesJeffrey P. Naimon quoted in American Banker article, “What CFPB’s day in court will mean for FHFA”
Jeffrey P. Naimon was quoted on November 4, 2019 in an American Banker article, “What CFPB’s day in court will mean for FHFA,” which discussed how the leadership structures at both the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and Federal Housing Finance Agency are under scrutiny and how the outcome of...
In The NewsSenate Democrats press CFPB to investigate Pennsylvania servicer’s PSLF management
On October 28, 23 Senate Democrats wrote to CFPB Director Kathy Kraninger urging the Bureau to open an enforcement investigation into a Pennsylvania-based student loan servicer’s alleged mismanagement of the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) program. The Senators contend that the servicer’s...
InfoBytesRegulators tackle company offering relief from student loans
On October 30, the CFPB, along with the Minnesota and North Carolina attorneys general, and the Los Angeles City Attorney (together, the “states”), announced an action against a student loan debt relief operation for allegedly deceiving thousands of student-loan borrowers and charging more than $71...
InfoBytesAgencies increase threshold for appraisal exemption under TILA for HPMLs
On October 30, the CFPB, OCC, and the Federal Reserve Board published a final rule in the Federal Register , which increases the smaller loan exemption threshold for the special appraisal requirements for higher-priced mortgage loans (HPMLs) under TILA. TILA requires creditors to obtain a written...
InfoBytesSenate Banking Committee members urge CFPB to continue collecting all HMDA data
On October 16, eight members of the Senate Banking Committee submitted a comment letter in response to the CFPB’s Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (ANPR) issued last May seeking information on the costs and benefits of reporting certain data points under HMDA. (Previous InfoBytes coverage here...
InfoBytesDistrict Court denies request to enforce modified CID, says CFPB can issue third-party CID
On October 18, the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia denied defendants’ request to enforce a modified Civil Investigative Demand (CID) and prevent the CFPB from obtaining personal information about the defendants’ clients via CIDs to third parties. In August 2017, the CFPB issued a...
InfoBytesKraninger discusses semi-annual report at House and Senate hearings
On October 17, CFPB Director Kathy Kraninger testified at a hearing held by the Senate Banking Committee on the CFPB’s Semi-Annual Report to Congress. (Previous InfoBytes coverage here .) Pursuant to the Dodd-Frank Act, the hearing covered the semi-annual report to Congress on the Bureau’s work...
InfoBytesSupreme Court to decide CFPB constitutionality
On October 18, the U.S. Supreme Court granted cert in Seila Law LLC v. CFPB , to answer the question of whether an independent agency led by a single director violates the Constitution’s separation of powers under Article II. The Court also directed the parties to brief and argue whether 12 U.S.C...
InfoBytes"A new era of FCRA scrutiny for consumer data furnishers" by Jessica L. Pollet (Law360)
Furnishers provide information to consumer reporting agencies on over 1.3 billion consumer credit accounts or other tradelines each month, with the three largest national consumer reporting agencies holding the personal information of over 200 million consumers. Given the extent of the consumer...
ArticlesHouse report blames CFPB "politicization" for drop in consumer relief
On October 16, Maxine Waters, Chairwoman of the House Financial Services Committee, released a majority staff report titled, “Settling for Nothing: How Kraninger’s CFPB Leaves Consumers High and Dry,” which details the results of the majority’s investigation into the CFPB’s handling of consumer...
InfoBytesState AGs urge CFPB to reconsider proposed changes to HMDA
On October 15, a coalition of 13 state attorneys general submitted a comment letter in response to the CFPB’s Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking issued last May seeking information on the costs and benefits of reporting certain data points under HMDA. (Previously covered by InfoBytes here .) In...
InfoBytesCFPB Private Education Loan Ombudsman's annual report focuses on debt relief scams
On October 15, the CFPB Private Education Loan Ombudsman published its annual report on consumer complaints submitted between September 1, 2017 and August 31, 2019. The report, titled Annual Report of the CFPB Student Loan Ombudsman , is based on approximately 20,600 complaints received by the...
InfoBytesDemocratic Senators lay out expectations for new CFPB Private Education Loan Ombudsman
On October 10, the Senate Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee released a letter from Senators Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) and Patty Murray (D-Wash) to the new CFPB Student Loan Ombudsman, Robert Cameron, outlining their expectations for his tenure in the Ombudsman’s Office. The senators state...
InfoBytesCFPB seeks applicants for consumer financial law taskforce
On October 11, the CFPB announced the Taskforce on Federal Consumer Financial Law that will examine the existing legal and regulatory environment facing consumers and financial services providers. The Bureau is accepting applications for the task force and seeking to fill the membership with a...
InfoBytesHouse tells Supreme Court CFPB structure is constitutional
On October 4, the U.S. House of Representatives filed an amicus brief with the U.S. Supreme Court arguing that the CFPB’s structure is constitutional. The brief was filed in response to a petition for writ of certiorari by a law firm, contesting a May decision by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the...
InfoBytesCFPB temporarily extends threshold for open-end HMDA reporting
On October 10, the CFPB issued a final rule extending the current temporary threshold of 500 open-end lines of credit under the HMDA rules for reporting data to January 1, 2022. As previously covered by InfoBytes , the CFPB temporarily increased the threshold for open-end lines of credit from 100...
InfoBytesCFPB releases semi-annual report to Congress
On October 8, the CFPB issued its Dodd-Frank mandated semi-annual report to Congress covering the Bureau’s work from October 1, 2018 to March 31, 2019. In presenting the report, Director Kathy Kraninger stressed that the Bureau will continue to use the tools provided by Congress to protect...
InfoBytes"Email notice lessons from 7th Circ. debt collection ruling" (Lavallee v. Med-1 Solutions LLC) by Marshall T. Bell (Law360)
Consumers increasingly expect to have access to information and the ability to conduct business at the time and place of their choosing, whether shopping for goods and services or managing their finances. Often, that means they expect service providers to communicate with them by email, text or...
ArticlesCFPB and South Carolina take action against loan broker for veteran pension loans
On October 1, the CFPB and the South Carolina Department of Consumer Affairs filed an action in the U.S. District Court for the District of South Carolina against two companies and their owner, alleging that the defendants violated the Consumer Financial Protection Act (CFPA) and the South Carolina...
InfoBytesCFPB report examines bankruptcy trends
On September 25, the CFPB released the latest quarterly consumer credit trends report , which examines how the volume and types of bankruptcy filings have changed from 2001 to 2018. The report focuses on consumers who filed for Chapter 7 or Chapter 13 bankruptcy during the reported timeframe. Key...
InfoBytesCFPB files claims against Maryland debt collectors
On September 25, the CFPB filed a complaint in the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland against a debt collection entity, its subsidiaries, and their owner (collectively, “defendants”) for allegedly violating the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA), Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (...
InfoBytesCFPB issues filing guides for 2020 HMDA data
On September 25, the CFPB released the Filing Instructions Guide for HMDA data collected in 2020 that must be reported in 2021. The guide references changes to the submission process, and includes a reminder that, starting in 2020, “covered institutions that reported a combined total of at least 60...
InfoBytesCFPB issues FAQs on SAFE Act amendments
On September 25, the CFPB published four FAQs pertaining to compliance with federal SAFE Act amendments created by the Economic Growth, Regulatory Relief, and Consumer Protection Act (the Act), which take effect on November 24. According to the Bureau, the Act’s amendments “establish temporary...
InfoBytes28 state AGs argue CFPB’s debt collection proposal “falls far short”
On September 18, 28 state attorneys general filed a comment letter in response to the CFPB’s Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) amending Regulation F to implement the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA) (the “Proposed Rule”), urging the Bureau to reconsider the proposal. As previously...
InfoBytesCFPB informs two courts its director structure is unconstitutional
On September 18, the CFPB issued letters in pending litigation to inform the courts that it was changing its position regarding the constitutionality of the for-cause removal provision of the Consumer Financial Protection Act (CFPA). As previously covered by InfoBytes , the DOJ and the CFPB filed a...
InfoBytesSenate Banking Democrats urge CFPB to keep certain ATR/QM standards
On September 17, nine Democratic Senate Banking Committee members wrote to the CFPB in response to its Advanced Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (ANPR) soliciting feedback on amending Regulation Z and the Ability to Repay/Qualified Mortgage Rule (ATR/QM Rule) to minimize disruption from the so-called...
InfoBytesCFPB investigating bank’s account opening practices
In September, the CFPB published documents related to an investigation into whether a national bank opened credit card accounts without customer authorization in violation of various federal laws and regulations, including the Fair Credit Reporting Act and the Consumer Financial Protection Act’s...
InfoBytesFTC supports CFPB on debt collection proposal
On September 18, the FTC issued its comment letter to the CFPB’s Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) amending Regulation F, to implement the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA) (the “Proposed Rule”). As previously covered by InfoBytes , on May 7, the CFPB issued the Proposed Rule, which...
InfoBytesCFPB will continue to publish consumer complaint data
On September 18, the CFPB announced changes to its Consumer Complaint Database (CCDB), stating that it would continue the publication of consumer complaints, data fields, and narrative descriptions. As previously covered by InfoBytes , in March 2018, the Bureau issued a Request for Information (RFI...
InfoBytesKraninger tells Supreme Court CFPB structure is unconstitutional
On September 17, the DOJ and the CFPB filed a brief with the U.S. Supreme Court arguing that the for-cause restriction on the president’s authority to remove the Bureau’s single Director violates the Constitution’s separation of powers. The brief was filed in response to a petition for a writ of...
InfoBytesCFPB argues no “benign language” exception under FDCPA
On September 5, the CFPB filed an amicus brief in a case on appeal to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit concerning a debt collector’s use of language or symbols other than the collector’s address on an envelope sent to a consumer. Under section 1692f(8) of the FDCPA, debt collectors...
InfoBytesCFPB issues summer 2019 Supervisory Highlights
On September 13, the CFPB released its summer 2019 Supervisory Highlights , which outlines its supervisory and enforcement actions in the areas of automobile loan origination, credit card account management, debt collection, furnishing, and mortgage origination. The findings of the report cover...
InfoBytesCFPB issues final No-Action Letter policy, sandbox policy, and trial disclosure policy
On September 10, the CFPB issued three final innovation policies, the No-Action Letter (NAL) Policy , Compliance Assistance Sandbox (CAS) Policy , and Trial Disclosure Program (TDP) Policy . Director Kraninger noted that the new policies will “improve how the Bureau exercises its authority to...
InfoBytesCFPB and state regulators launch American Consumer Financial Innovation Network
On September 10, the CFPB, in conjunction with state regulators, announced the American Consumer Financial Innovation Network (ACFIN) to enhance coordination among federal and state regulators to facilitate financial innovation. ACFIN has three stated objectives in its charter : (i) “[e]stablish...
InfoBytesJeffrey P. Naimon quoted in American Banker article, “Would a Democratic president fire CFPB's Kraninger?”
Jeffrey P. Naimon was quoted on September 12, 2019 in an American Banker article, “Would a Democratic president fire CFPB's Kraninger?” which explored the possibility of a Democratic victor in the presidential race being the first to mount a constitutional challenge to the agency's leadership. The...
In The NewsCFPB files deceptive and abusive allegations against foreclosure relief services company and principals
On September 6, the CFPB announced a complaint filed in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California against a foreclosure relief services company, along with the company’s president/CEO (defendants), for allegedly engaging in deceptive and abusive acts and practices in connection...
InfoBytesCFPB updates HMDA webinars
On August 29, the CFPB updated two HMDA webinars to reflect amendments made by the Economic Growth, Regulatory Relief, and Consumer Protection Act, and the interpretive and procedural rule issued by the CFPB in August 2018. (Previous InfoBytes coverage on the amendments and the interpretive and...
InfoBytesFFIEC releases 2018 HMDA data; CFPB issues mortgage activity reports
On August 30, the Federal Financial Institutions Examinations Council released the 2018 Home Mortgage Disclosure Act (HMDA) data on mortgage lending transactions covering information submitted by financial institutions on or before August 7. The data will not remain static, but instead will be...
InfoBytesCFPB updates auto finance section of the Supervision and Examinations Manual
On August 28, the CFPB updated its examination procedures for automobile finance in its Supervision and Examinations Manual . The procedures are comprised of seven modules and each examination will cover one or more modules. Prior to using the procedures, examiners will complete a risk assessment...
InfoBytesCFPB releases 2019 Card Report
On August 27, the CFPB released its fourth biennial report on the state of the credit card market as required by Section 502 of the Credit Card Accountability Responsibility and Disclosure Act (CARD Act). The 2019 report covers the credit card market for the 2017-2018 period. In opening remarks,...
InfoBytesCFPB settles with Illinois debt collector
On August 28, the CFPB announced a settlement with an Illinois-based debt collection company to resolve allegations that the company engaged in improper debt collection tactics in violation of the Consumer Financial Protection Act and the FDCPA. Among other things, the company allegedly engaged in...
InfoBytesWaters and 101 representatives urge CFPB to reconsider payday compliance delay
On August 23, House Financial Services Committee Chair, Maxine Waters (D-Calif) and 101 other members of Congress wrote to CFPB Director Kathy Kraninger to express concern over the Bureau’s recent amendment of and delay to certain ability-to-repay provisions of the agency’s 2017 final rule covering...
InfoBytesTribal nation reaches settlement with national bank over account operations
On August 22, a tribal nation issued a press release announcing a $6.5 million settlement with a national bank to resolve allegations related to the opening of deposit and credit card accounts for customers without consent. In 2018, the tribal nation’s suit was dismissed by a district court ruling...
InfoBytesJeffrey P. Naimon quoted in Inside Mortgage Finance article, “Lenders turn to Appendix Q as QM ‘patch’ nears end”
Jeffrey P. Naimon was quoted on August 22, 2019 in an Inside Mortgage Finance article, “Lenders turn to Appendix Q as QM ‘patch’ nears end,” which discussed how the pending expiration of the qualified mortgage “patch” has prompted the mortgage industry to seek an overhaul of standards critical for...
In The NewsCFPB names Cameron private education loan ombudsman
On August 16, the CFPB announced Robert G. Cameron as the Bureau’s private education loan ombudsman. Cameron, who served in the U.S. Army for 29 years and is a Colonel and Staff Judge Advocate for the Pennsylvania Army National Guard, joins the Bureau from the Pennsylvania Higher Education...
InfoBytesCFPB and Arkansas AG settle with pension-advance brokers
On August 15, the CFPB and the Arkansas attorney general announced a proposed settlement with three loan brokerage companies, along with their owner and operator (collectively, “defendants”) for allegedly misrepresenting the contracts offered to veterans and other consumers. According to the...
InfoBytesCFPB settles student-loan suit against defunct educational institution
On August 12, the CFPB announced a settlement with a defunct for-profit educational institution to resolve allegations that the defendant engaged in unfair and abusive acts and practices in violation of the Consumer Financial Protection Act through its private student loan origination practices. As...
InfoBytesAlternative data model boosts credit access, says CFPB NAL recipient
On August 6, the CFPB published a blog providing an update on credit access and the Bureau’s first-issued No-Action Letter (NAL), and reporting that use of alternative data in underwriting may expand access to credit. In 2017, the CFPB announced its first NAL to a company that uses alternative data...
InfoBytesCFPB extends debt collection comment period
On August 2, the CFPB announced that it is extending the comment period on its Notice of Proposed Rulemaking implementing the FDCPA to “facilitate the ability of commenters to consider the issues raised in the NPRM, gather data, and prepare their responses.” The comment period now closes on...
InfoBytesCFPB releases TRID FAQs on loan estimates
On July 31, the CFPB released FAQs to assist with TILA-RESPA Integrated Disclosure Rule (TRID Rule) compliance. The five new FAQs relate to providing loan estimates to consumers. Highlights include: If a consumer submits the six pieces of information (name, income, social security number, property...
InfoBytesCFPB reopens comment period for certain aspects of HMDA rulemaking
On July 31, the CFPB announced that it is reopening the comment period for certain aspects of its May Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (covered by InfoBytes here ), which would permanently raise coverage thresholds for collecting and reporting data about closed-end mortgage loans and open-end lines of...
InfoBytesCFPB adjusts annual dollar amount thresholds under TILA regulations
On August 1, the CFPB published in the Federal Register the final rule amending Regulation Z, which implements the Truth in Lending Act (TILA), including as amended by the Credit Card Accountability Responsibility and Disclosure Act of 2009 (CARD Act), the Home Ownership and Equity Protection Act...
InfoBytesJeffrey P. Naimon quoted in a Law360 article, “CFPB's plan to tear off mortgage 'patch' risks market unrest”
Jeffrey P. Naimon was quoted on July 30, 2019 in a Law360 article, “CFPB's plan to tear off mortgage 'patch' risks market unrest,” which discussed the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s plan to end the GSE patch that has unfairly privileged Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, and how to do so without...
In The NewsSpecial Alert: CFPB issues Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking to end GSE patch
On July 25, the CFPB issued an Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (ANPR) that is intended as a first step in an orderly expiration of the so-called GSE patch, which confers Qualified Mortgage status for loans purchased or guaranteed by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac while those entities operate...
InfoBytesSpecial Alert: CFPB issues Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking to end GSE patch
On July 25, the CFPB issued an Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (ANPR) that is intended as a first step in an orderly expiration of the so-called GSE patch, which confers Qualified Mortgage status for loans purchased or guaranteed by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac while those entities operate...
Special AlertsCFPB seeks comments on “QM patch” ahead of expiration
On July 25, the CFPB issued an Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (ANPR) seeking feedback on potential revisions to the Ability to Repay/Qualified Mortgage (ATR/QM) Rule related to the expiration in 2021 of the “GSE patch,” a temporary provision granting Qualified Mortgage status to mortgages...
InfoBytesCFPB, New York AG settle lawsuit against debt collection network
On July 25, the CFPB and New York attorney general announced (see here and here ) proposed settlements with a network of New York-based debt collectors (defendants) to resolve allegations that the defendants engaged in improper debt collection tactics in violation of the Consumer Financial...
InfoBytesCFPB reports on “credit invisibility” symposium
On July 19, the CFPB released a report titled, “Building a Bridge to Credit Invisibility,” which covers the Bureau’s September 2018 fair lending symposium of the same name. The symposium was a day-long event that explored the challenges consumers face in accessing credit. The Bureau uses the term “...
InfoBytesSenators request explanation for delay in reestablishing CFPB/Department of Education MOU
On July 18, Senators Patty Murray (D-WA) and Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) sent a letter to CFPB Director Kathy Kraninger and U.S. Department of Education (Department) Secretary Betsy DeVos requesting an explanation as to why a statutorily required Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) terminated by the...
InfoBytesKraninger: CFPB's focus is preventing consumer harm, and state and federal collaboration
On July 18, Kathy Kraninger, Director of the CFPB, spoke before the Exchequer Club where she discussed the Bureau’s strategy for preventing consumer harm. Kraninger discussed her ongoing “listening tour”—in which she has met with and received feedback from “more than 600 consumer groups, consumers...
InfoBytesCFPB report finds one in four consumers have debts in collection
On July 18, the CFPB released a report providing an overview of third-party debt collection tradelines from 2004 to 2018, which the Bureau segmented into two parts: debt buyer tradelines and non-buyer debt collections tradelines. The CFPB’s report, “ Market Snapshot: Third-Party Debt Collections...
InfoBytesGAO recommends CFPB define supervisory expectations for CRAs
On July 16, the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) submitted a report to the ranking members of the Senate Banking Committee and the House Committee on Financial Services recommending that the CFPB improve communications to consumer reporting agencies (CRAs) and furnishers about the Bureau...
InfoBytesCFPB updates advisory on elder financial exploitation
On July 17, the CFPB issued an updated advisory to financial institutions with information on the financial exploitation of older Americans and recommendations on how to prevent and respond to such exploitation. The update urges financial institutions to report to the appropriate authorities...
InfoBytesCFPB settles lawsuit against debt settlement provider
On July 9, the CFPB announced a $25 million settlement with the nation’s largest debt settlement provider to resolve allegations that the company engaged in deceptive acts and practices in violation of the Telemarketing Sales Rule and the Consumer Financial Protection Act. As previously covered by...
InfoBytesCFPB issues latest fair lending report to Congress
On June 28, the CFPB issued its seventh fair lending report to Congress, which outlines the Bureau’s efforts in 2018 to fulfill its fair lending mandate. According to the report, in 2018, the Bureau continued to focus on promoting fair, equitable, and nondiscriminatory access to credit,...
InfoBytesCFPB updates Payday Rule Small Entity Compliance Guide
On June 28, the CFPB updated its Small Entity Compliance Guide for the Payday Lending Rule, which covers the payment-related requirements of the Rule. In addition to technical corrections, the update reflects the delayed compliance date for the mandatory underwriting provisions of the Rule. As...
InfoBytesCFPB's first in symposia series discusses 'abusive' standard
On June 25, the CFPB held its “Abusive Acts or Practices Symposium,” the first event in a symposia series covering a range of consumer financial services topics. The event had two panels of experts discussing unfair, deceptive, or abusive acts and practices (UDAAP)—the first was a policy discussion...
InfoBytesCFPB and Fed issue final amendments to Regulation CC
On June 24, the CFPB and the Federal Reserve Board (Fed) announced a final rule amending Regulation CC to adjust dollar amounts cited in the rule for inflation. The Dodd-Frank Act requires that the dollar amounts be adjusted for inflation every five years by the annual percentage increase in the...
InfoBytesCFPB settles with defunct schools’ student loan management company
On June 14, the CFPB announced a settlement with a company that manages student loans for a defunct for-profit educational institution resolving allegations it provided substantial assistance to the institution in engaging in unfair acts and practices in violation of the Consumer Financial...
InfoBytes11th Circuit: Motion to reschedule foreclosure does not violate RESPA
On June 11, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit affirmed the dismissal of a RESPA action against a mortgage servicer, concluding that rescheduling a foreclosure sale is not a violation of Regulation X’s prohibition on moving for an order of foreclosure sale after a borrower has submitted...
InfoBytesCFPB symposium on “abusive” standard set for June 25
On June 11, the CFPB announced that its first symposium, regarding the meaning of “abusive acts or practices” under Section 1031 of the Dodd-Frank Act, will be held on June 25. As previously covered by InfoBytes , the CFPB announced a symposia series that will convene to discuss consumer...
InfoBytesDemocratic Senators ask CFPB to reconsider debt collection rulemaking
On June 6, twenty six Democratic Senators sent a letter to the CFPB requesting that the Bureau reconsider the recent debt collection rulemaking proposal to “pursue more meaningful reforms that put consumers . . . first.” As previously covered by InfoBytes , in May, the CFPB released its highly...
InfoBytesCFPB partially modifies two CIDs
On May 21, the CFPB issued two orders partially modifying civil investigative demands (CID) issued by the Bureau in 2017 and 2018. In 2017, a revised CID was issued to a provider of tax debt relief products and services concerning potential violations of UDAAP provisions under the Consumer...
InfoBytesCFPB delays underwriting compliance of Payday Rule
On June 6, the CFPB released a final rule to delay the August 19, 2019 compliance date for the mandatory underwriting provisions of the agency’s 2017 final rule covering “Payday, Vehicle Title, and Certain High-Cost Installment Loans” (the Rule). Compliance with these provisions of the Rule is now...
InfoBytesCFPB report explores ties between credit score fluctuations and credit applications
On May 30, the CFPB released the latest quarterly consumer credit trends report , which examines the fluctuations in consumers’ credit scores and the timing of consumers’ applications for credit. The report analyzes consumers whose credit scores showed large increases or decreases between 2009 and...
InfoBytesCFPB releases TRID FAQs for construction loans
On May 31, the CFPB released FAQs to assist with TILA-RESPA Integrated Disclosure Rule (TRID) compliance. The two new FAQs relate to the application of TRID to construction loans. Highlights include: Most construction-only and construction-permanent loans are covered by TRID as long as such a loan...
InfoBytesCFPB publishes spring 2019 rulemaking agenda
On May 22, the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs released the CFPB’s spring 2019 rulemaking agenda . According to a Bureau blog post , the information presented represents regulatory matters it “reasonably anticipates having under consideration during the period of May 1, 2019, to April...
InfoBytes25 state AGs reject CFPB payday proposal in comment letter
On May 15, a group of 25 Democratic Attorneys General submitted a comment letter in response to the CFPB’s February proposal to rescind certain provisions related to the underwriting standards of the “Payday, Vehicle Title, and Certain High-Cost Installment Loans” (the Rule) (covered by InfoBytes...
InfoBytesCFPB files suit against New York-based debt-collection law firm
On May 17, the CFPB announced it filed a lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York against a New York debt-collection law firm. According to the Bureau’s complaint , between 2014 and 2016 the law firm allegedly initiated more than 99,000 collection lawsuits in an...
InfoBytesHouse committee examines CFPB’s proposal to repeal payday rule
On May 16, the House Committee on Oversight and Reform’s Subcommittee on Economic and Consumer Policy held a hearing to examine the CFPB’s proposal to repeal parts of its “Payday, Vehicle Title, and Certain High-Cost Installment Loans” (the Rule). (See previous InfoBytes coverage on the proposed...
InfoBytesCalifornia Reinvestment Coalition sues CFPB alleging data collection failures
On May 14, the California Reinvestment Coalition (CRC) announced it filed a lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California against the CFPB for allegedly failing to implement Section 1071 of the Dodd-Frank Act, which requires the Bureau to collect and disclose data on...
InfoBytesKraninger says Dept. of Ed hindering CFPB's supervision of student loan servicers
On May 16, Senator Warren (D-MA) released an April 23 letter from CFPB Director Kathy Kraninger outlining the Bureau’s efforts to oversee student loan servicers, which was sent in response to an inquiry by six democratic senators. As previously covered by InfoBytes , the senators wrote to the CFPB...
InfoBytesCFPB announces regulatory review plan; seeks comment on Overdraft Rule impact on small businesses
On May 13, the CFPB announced a plan to review its regulations under Section 610 of the Regulatory Flexibility Act (RFA), which specifies that agencies should review certain rules within 10 years of their publication, consider the rules’ effect on small businesses, and invite public comment on each...
InfoBytesCFPB proposes debt collection rules
On May 7, the CFPB issued its Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) amending Regulation F, to implement the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA) (the “Proposed Rule”). The Bureau also released a Fact Sheet on the Proposed Rule. The proposed effective date is one year after the final rule is...
InfoBytes9th Circuit: CFPB structure is constitutional; law firm must comply with CID
On May 6, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit held that (i) the CFPB’s single-director structure is constitutional, and that (ii) the district court did not err when it granted the Bureau’s petition to enforce a law firm’s compliance with a 2017 civil investigative demand (CID). As...
InfoBytesWarren W. Traiger quoted in National Mortgage News article, “CFPB turns its reg relief focus to HMDA”
Warren W. Traiger was quoted on May 2, 2019 in a National Mortgage News article, “CFPB turns its reg relief focus to HMDA,” which discussed the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s steps to ease reporting requirements under the Home Mortgage Disclosure Act after the agency has previously...
In The NewsCFPB sues credit repair telemarketers
On May 2, the CFPB announced that it had filed a lawsuit against Utah-based credit repair telemarketers and their affiliates (defendants) for allegedly committing deceptive acts and practices in violation of the Telemarketing Sales Rule (TSR) and the Consumer Financial Protection Act (CFPA)...
InfoBytesCFPB issues fact sheet on TRID disclosures with assumption transactions
On May 1, the CFPB released a factsheet addressing when loan estimates and closing disclosures are required for assumption transactions under the TILA-RESPA Integrated Disclosure Rule (TRID Rule). The factsheet includes a flowchart and a narrative summary to demonstrate when the disclosures would...
InfoBytesCFPB proposes permanent HMDA thresholds
On May 2, the CFPB issued a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM), which would permanently raise coverage thresholds for collecting and reporting data about closed-end mortgage loans and open-end lines of credit under the HMDA rules. Specifically, the proposal would permanently raise the reporting...
InfoBytesCFPB fines student loan servicer $3.9 million for unfair practices
On May 1, the CFPB announced a $3.9 million settlement with a student loan servicing company. The settlement resolves allegations that the company engaged in unfair practices by failing to make adjustments to loans made under the Federal Family Education Loan Program to account for circumstances...
InfoBytesDemocratic senators concerned with CFPB retiring HMDA search tool
On April 29, nine Democratic Senators, led by Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), wrote to the CFPB expressing “deep concern” regarding the Bureau’s plan to retire its tools for public exploration of HMDA data— HMDA Explorer Tool and the Public Data Platform API . In the letter, the Senators argue that...
InfoBytesCFPB updates Prepaid Small Entity Compliance Guide
On April 26, the CFPB released version 3.1 of its Prepaid Small Entity Compliance Guide to incorporate previously issued submission instructions for issuers submitting account agreements pursuant to the prepaid account rule through the electronic submission system “Collect.” (See previous InfoBytes...
InfoBytesCFPB issues RFI on Remittance Rule
On April 25, the CFPB issued a Request for Information (RFI) on two aspects of the Remittance Rule, which took effect in 2013, and requires financial companies handling international money transfers, or remittance transfers, to disclose to individuals transferring money information about the exact...
InfoBytesCFPB updates CID policy
On April 23, the CFPB announced updates to its policy on Civil Investigative Demands (CIDs). According to the Bureau, the new policy is consistent with comments received in response to a 2018 Request for Information, which solicited public feedback on “how best to achieve meaningful burden...
InfoBytesDistrict Court enters first significant decision under CFPB’s ATR/QM Rule
On March 26, the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Ohio, in what appears to be the first significant decision on claims brought against a mortgage lender under the CFPB’s Ability-to-Repay/Qualified Mortgage Rule, granted summary judgment in favor of the lender. The court rejected...
InfoBytesKraninger’s focus is preventing consumer harm, clarifying “abusive”
On April 17, Kathy Kraninger, Director of the CFPB, spoke before the Bipartisan Policy Center where she reiterated the Bureau’s focus on prevention of harm and announced a symposium that will explore the meaning of “abusive acts or practices” under Section 1031 of the Dodd-Frank Act. In her remarks...
InfoBytesFederal regulators discuss national bank’s remediation progress
On April 9, Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass) and Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) released responses to inquiries sent last month to the Federal Reserve Board, the OCC, and the CFPB, which expressed, among other things, concern about the level of response taken by a national bank regarding its auto-lending...
InfoBytesSenate Democrats question the CFPB on PSLF oversight
On April 3, six Democratic Senators wrote to the CFPB seeking additional information on the Bureau’s oversight of student loan companies and servicers involved in the administration of the federal Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program (PSLF). In the letter, the Senators expressed concern that the...
InfoBytesCFPB and Federal Reserve update HMDA examination procedures; CFPB updates ECOA baseline review procedures
On April 1, the CFPB and the Federal Reserve Board (Federal Reserve) issued revisions to the HMDA examination procedures covering data collected since January 1, 2018, under the HMDA amendments issued by the Bureau in October 2015 and August 2017, as well as section 104(a) of the Economic Growth,...
InfoBytesCFPB issues Consumer Response Annual Report
On March 29, the CFPB published its Consumer Response Annual Report , providing a review of the Bureau’s complaint process and a description of complaints received from consumers from across all 50 states and the District of Columbia between January 1 and December 31, 2018. According to the report...
InfoBytesCFPB settles with online lead aggregator for $4 million
On March 28, the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California entered a stipulated final judgment and order resolving the CFPB’s allegations against a California-based company for allegedly buying and selling personal information from payday and installment loan applications without...
InfoBytesLaw firms settle with CFPB over debt relief fee allegations
On March 27, the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California entered a consent judgment ending a CFPB lawsuit against a group of affiliated law firms and their managing attorneys. As previously covered by InfoBytes in 2017, the Bureau’s enforcement action alleged that the defendants...
InfoBytesDistrict Court partially grants summary judgment in favor of CFPB in debt collection action
On March 21, the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia partially granted the CFPB’s motion for summary judgment against a New York-based company and three individuals for allegedly violating the CFPA and the FDCPA in a debt collection operation, but denied the motion for the...
InfoBytesCFPB releases 50-state servicemember complaint snapshot
On March 19, the CFPB released the “ Complaint Snapshot: Servicemembers, Veterans, and Military Families 50 State Report ,” which provides state-specific data on the nearly 34,000 complaints received from servicemembers, veterans, and their families in 2018 (which the CFPB collectively defines as...
InfoBytesFFIEC releases 2019 HMDA reporting guide
On March 25, the CFPB announced that the Federal Financial Institutions Examinations Council (FFIEC) issued the 2019 edition of the “Guide to HMDA Reporting: Getting It Right!,” which reflects the amendments made to HMDA by the May 2018 Economic Growth, Regulatory Relief, and Consumer Protection...
InfoBytesCFPB updates payday section of the Supervision and Examinations Manual
In March, the CFPB updated its examination procedures for short-term, small-dollar lending (payday lending) in its Supervision and Examinations Manual . The procedures are comprised of modules and each examination will cover one more module. Prior to using the procedures, examiners will complete a...
InfoBytesCFPB seeks to extend ECOA and credit card plan information collections
On March 20, the CFPB published in the Federal Register two requests to renew information collections, one on the “Report of Terms of Credit Card Plan,” which collects data from at least 150 financial institutions on credit card pricing and availability, and the other on ECOA and Regulation B. For...
InfoBytesCFPB enhances advisory committees
On March 21, the CFPB announced the Bureau’s advisory committee programs will be enhanced as a result of Director Kraninger’s engagement with current and former committee members during her three-month listening tour. Effective 2020, the committees—Consumer Advisory Board (CAB), Community Bank...
InfoBytesCFPB and FTC release 2018 FDCPA report
On March 20, the CFPB and the FTC released ( here and here ) their annual report to Congress on the administration of the FDCPA, which highlights the 2018 efforts of the agencies. The agencies coordinate in enforcement; share supervisory and consumer complaint information; and collaborate on...
InfoBytesCFPB and NYAG defend Bureau’s constitutionality in 2nd Circuit
On March 15, the CFPB and the New York Attorney General (NYAG) filed opening briefs in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 2nd Circuit in their appeal of the Southern District of New York’s (i) June 2018 ruling that the CFPB’s organizational structure, as defined by Title X of the Dodd-Frank Act, is...
InfoBytesDemocratic AGs threaten legal action over proposed Payday Rule compliance delay
On March 18, a coalition of 25 Democratic state Attorneys General urged the CFPB not to delay the August 19, 2019 compliance date for any aspect of the Payday, Vehicle Title, and Certain High-Cost Installment Loans rule (Rule) and warned that they would consider taking legal action if the Bureau...
InfoBytesWhite House releases 2020 budget proposal; key areas include appropriations and efforts to combat terrorist financing
On March 11, the White House released its fiscal 2020 budget request, A Budget for a Better America . The budget was accompanied by texts entitled Major Savings and Reforms (MSR), which “contains detailed information on major savings and reform proposals”; Analytical Perspectives , which “contains...
InfoBytesCFPB issues winter 2019 Supervisory Highlights
On March 12, the CFPB released its winter 2019 Supervisory Highlights , which outlines its supervisory and enforcement actions in the areas of auto loan servicing, deposits, mortgage servicing, and remittances. The findings of the report cover examinations that generally were completed between June...
InfoBytesCFPB does not request lift of compliance date stay for payment-related provisions of Payday Rule
On March 8, the CFPB and two payday loan trade groups filed a joint status report with the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas in the litigation over the Bureau’s final rule on payday loans, vehicle title loans, and certain other installment loans (Rule). As previously covered by...
InfoBytesCFPB defends MLA and Payday Rule position in Senate hearing
On March 12, Director of the CFPB, Kathy Kraninger, testified at a hearing held by the Senate Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee on the CFPB’s Semi-Annual Report to Congress. While Kraninger’s opening statement and question responses were similar to her comments made last week during a...
InfoBytesOCC identifies key data fields for HMDA reporters
On March 7, the OCC released Bulletin 2019-12 , which identifies the key HMDA data fields for full and partial reporters. Specifically, the Bulletin highlights the 37 key data fields for banks required to report all of the data set forth in the CFPB’s October 2015 and August 2017 HMDA amendments,...
InfoBytesJonice Gray Tucker extensively quoted in Dodd Frank Update article, “Detailing challenges to greater state consumer protection efforts”
Jonice Gray Tucker was extensively quoted on March 1, 2019 in a Dodd Frank Update article, “Detailing challenges to greater state consumer protection efforts,” where she outlined reasons for the growth in state-level enforcement activity on consumer protection as well as how states are overcoming...
In The NewsKraninger tells Hill CFPB will emphasize supervision rather than enforcement
On March 7, Director of the CFPB, Kathy Kraninger, testified at a hearing held by the House Financial Services Committee entitled “Putting Consumers First? A Semi-Annual Review of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.” Pursuant to the Dodd-Frank Act, the hearing covered the semi-annual report...
InfoBytes"What to expect from increased FTC-state AG collaboration" by Michelle L. Rogers and Katherine L. Halliday (Law360)
In prepared remarks at the winter meeting of the National Association of Attorneys General on March 5, 2019, Federal Trade Commission Chairman Joseph Simons advocated for increased collaboration with state attorneys general and noted that such collaboration is critical to the FTC’s mission. His...
ArticlesCourt rejects dismissal bid in veteran pension case
On March 5, the U.S. District Court for the District of South Carolina affirmed the recommendation of a Magistrate Judge and denied the motion of a law firm, one of its partners, and others’ (collectively, “defendants”) to dismiss an action alleging that the defendants violated the Federal Anti-...
InfoBytesSenate Democrats: CFPB already has authority to supervise for MLA
On March 5, U.S. Senate Democrats issued a letter urging CFPB Director, Kathy Kraninger, to resume reviews for compliance with the Military Lending Act (MLA) during routine lender examinations. The Senators argue that the existing statutory authorities for the Bureau “are more than sufficient to...
InfoBytesCFPB seeks comments on PACE financing
On March 4, the CFPB issued an Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (ANPR) on Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) financing, which often takes the form of loans to facilitate residential solar energy and other home improvement projects. The ANPR was issued in response to Section 307 of the...
InfoBytesCFPB analyzes first-time homebuying data for servicemembers
On March 1, the CFPB released its latest Quarterly Consumer Credit Trends report titled, “Mortgages to First-time Homebuying Servicemembers,” which analyzes mortgages made to first-time homebuying active duty servicemembers and veterans (collectively defined as “servicemembers”). The report, using...
InfoBytes"Breaking down (language) barriers: A practical approach to LEP borrowers" by Jessica L. Pollet and Susanna K. Sedrak (Westlaw Journal)
In roughly 5.3 million households in the United States, the head of the house doesn’t speak English as the primary language or has limited ability to understand it.1 But like most individuals seeking full participation in the U.S. economy, those with limited English proficiency need access to...
ArticlesCFPB petitions court to force law firm to comply with CID
On February 25, the CFPB petitioned the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York for an order requiring a debt collection law office to comply with a civil investigative demand (CID) issued by the Bureau in June 2017. The CID requested information from the debt collection firm as...
InfoBytesFTC issues annual summary of ECOA activity to CFPB
On February 26, the FTC announced it had recently provided the CFPB with its annual summary of work on ECOA-related policy issues including the following FTC research and policy development initiatives: The FTC held a series of public hearings on competition and consumer protection in the 21st...
InfoBytesCFPB announces electronic submission system for prepaid issuers
On February 27, the CFPB released new technical specifications for prepaid account issuers to use when submitting account agreements pursuant to the prepaid account rule. Issuers can now register to use the new electronic submission system “Collect” before the April 1, 2019 effective date of the...
InfoBytesFTC and CFPB reauthorize cooperation MOU
On February 26, the FTC announced its coordination with the CFPB to reauthorize their memorandum of understanding (MOU), which outlines the two agencies’ cooperation under the Consumer Financial Protection Act to prevent duplication of efforts and ensure consistency. The interagency agreement...
InfoBytesCFPB updates Supervision and Examinations Manual
In February, the CFPB released an updated version of the Supervision and Examination Manual , which includes changes to the examination and targeted reviews section of the manual. The Bureau noted that the purpose of a risk-focused review is to direct Bureau resources toward the areas with higher...
InfoBytesCFPB releases Small Entity Compliance Guide on parts of the Payday Rule
On February 20, the CFPB released the Small Entity Compliance Guide covering the payment-related requirements of the Payday, Vehicle Title, and High-Cost Installment Lending Rule , which, among other things, prohibits payday and certain other lenders from making a new attempt to withdraw funds from...
InfoBytesJeffrey P. Naimon quoted in American Banker article, “Why Kraninger's CFPB is mandating fewer consumer refunds”
Jeffrey P. Naimon was quoted on February 20, 2019 in an American Banker article, “Why Kraninger's CFPB is mandating fewer consumer refunds,” which discussed how the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau appears to be shifting away from requiring financial institutions to refund customers in response...
In The NewsDemocratic AGs object to CFPB sandbox
On February 11, a coalition of 22 Democratic state Attorneys General responded to the CFPB’s proposed policy on No-Action Letters (NAL) and a new federal product sandbox, pushing back on the Bureau’s efforts to provide relief to financial institutions looking to implement new consumer financial...
InfoBytesCFPB releases semi-annual report to Congress
On February 12, the CFPB issued its semi-annual report to Congress covering the Bureau’s work from April 1, 2018, through September 30, 2018. The report, which is required by the Dodd-Frank Act, addresses issues including problems faced by consumers with regard to consumer financial products or...
InfoBytesCFPB releases 2019 lists of rural or underserved counties
On February 12, the CFPB released its annual list of rural counties and rural or underserved counties for lenders to use when determining qualified exemptions to certain TILA regulatory requirements. In connection with the release of the lists, the Bureau also directed lenders to use its web-based...
InfoBytesGlobal Financial Innovation Network seeking cross-border testing applications
On January 31, the United Kingdom’s Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) announced that the Global Financial Innovation Network (GFIN) officially launched and is now seeking cross-border testing applications. As previously covered by InfoBytes , in August 2018, the FCA announced the creation of the...
InfoBytesOCC praises CFPB’s payday rule proposal
On February 11, the OCC released a statement from Comptroller of the Currency Joseph Otting supporting the CFPB’s proposed rule rescinding certain requirements relating to underwriting standards for short-term small-dollar loans. (Covered by InfoBytes here .) Calling the proposal “important and...
InfoBytesJeffrey P. Naimon quoted in an American Banker article, “Government shutdowns add new wrinkle to credit bureau reform”
Jeffrey P. Naimon was quoted on February 11, 2019 in an American Banker article, “Government shutdowns add new wrinkle to credit bureau reform,” which discussed an effort to reform the credit bureaus due to the effects on federal workers and consumers during the government shutdown, and the...
In The NewsCFPB announces settlement with payday lending operation
On February 6, the CFPB announced a settlement with an Indiana-based payday retail lender and affiliates (companies) in seven states to resolve alleged violations of the Consumer Financial Protection Act (CFPA), Truth in Lending Act (TILA), and Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act (GLBA) privacy protections. The...
InfoBytes"Is the CFPB bound by its non-binding guidance? The implications of the PHH due process decision for TRID and other CFPB rules" by Steven R. vonBerg
Predictability and certainty are crucial components of the consumer finance market. Consumers crave it, as do industry participants. A common understanding of legal requirements promotes uniformity in the application of consumer protections and allows lenders, servicers, systems providers,...
Buckley Commentary & AnalysisCFPB proposes to rescind ability-to-repay standards in payday rule
On February 6, the CFPB released two notices of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) related to certain payday lending requirements under the agency’s 2017 final rule covering “Payday, Vehicle Title, and Certain High-Cost Installment Loans” (the Rule). As previously covered by InfoBytes , last October the...
InfoBytes"Takeaways from military member complaints at CFPB" by Jeffrey P. Naimon, Sasha Leonhardt, and Christina R. Smith (Law360)
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau ’s Office of Servicemember Affairs recently released a report highlighting issues facing military consumers based on complaints submitted by service members, veterans and their families. This report identifies categories and trends among the approximately 48...
ArticlesSpecial Alert: D.C. Circuit upholds CFPB’s constitutionality but rejects its interpretation of RESPA
On January 31, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit issued its long-awaited en banc decision in CFPB v. PHH Corporation . In a 7-3 decision, the court concluded that the CFPB’s single-director structure is constitutional, even though the president can only remove the director for cause...
Special AlertsSpecial Alert: Mulvaney says the CFPB will depend heavily on state Attorneys General for enforcement of consumer protection laws
Mick Mulvaney, the acting director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, in a February 28 speech, outlined the Bureau’s overall direction and strategic priorities, and described plans to coordinate with state Attorneys General in enforcing federal consumer financial protection law. Mulvaney...
Special AlertsCFPB releases TRID FAQs
On January 25, the CFPB released FAQs to assist with TILA-RESPA Integrated Disclosure Rule (TRID) compliance. Three of the four FAQs relate to corrected closing disclosures and the three business-day waiting period, while the fourth FAQ relates to the use of model forms. Highlights of the FAQs...
InfoBytesCFPB files proposed consent order banning certain Canadian and Maltese payday lenders from U.S. consumer lending
On February 1, the CFPB and a group of payday lenders, including individuals and corporate officials based in Canada and Malta (collectively, “defendants”), filed a proposed consent order with the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York that would resolve allegations that the...
InfoBytesCFPB seeks information on debt collection disclosures
On February 4, the CFPB released a request for public comment on a new information collection titled, “Debt Collection Quantitative Disclosure Testing.” The proposed collection—which seeks Office of Management and Budget approval to conduct a web survey as part of the Bureau's debt collection...
InfoBytesCFPB releases complaint snapshot on mortgages
On January 29, the CFPB released a report on mortgage complaints, and a corresponding blog post , which provide a high-level overview of the mortgage complaints received by the Bureau during the last 24 months. According to the report, mortgage complaints accounted for 11 percent, or approximately...
InfoBytesCFPB releases RFI on consumer credit card market
On January 31, the CFPB published a request for information (RFI) on the consumer credit card market. Section 502 of the Credit Card Accountability and Responsibility Disclosure Act (CARD Act) of 2009 requires the Bureau to conduct a review of the consumer credit card market every two years and to...
InfoBytesCFPB settles with loan broker over veteran pension loans
On January 23, the CFPB announced a settlement with an online loan broker resolving allegations that the broker violated the Consumer Financial Protection Act by operating a website that connected veterans with companies offering high-interest loans in exchange for the assignment of some or all of...
InfoBytesCFPB releases annual report on servicemember complaint issues
On January 24, the CFPB’s Office of Servicemember Affairs (OSA) released an annual report , which highlights issues facing military consumers based on complaints submitted by servicemembers, veterans, and their families (collectively “servicemembers”). The OSA report covers the period between April...
InfoBytesCFPB asks Congress for clear authority to supervise for MLA compliance
On January 17, the CFPB issued a statement from Bureau Director Kathy Kraninger announcing she has asked Congress to grant the Bureau “clear authority to supervise for compliance with the Military Lending Act (MLA).” The statement expresses Kraninger’s interest in protecting servicemembers and...
InfoBytesCFPB issues five-year lookback for 2013 ATR/QM and Mortgage Servicing Rule
On January 10, the CFPB released the assessment reports required by Section 1022(d) of the Dodd-Frank Act for two of its 2013 mortgage rules: the TILA Ability-to-Repay and Qualified Mortgage (ATR/QM) Rule and the RESPA Mortgage Servicing Rule. The assessment reports were conducted using the Bureau’...
InfoBytesDistrict Court orders mortgage company to pay $260,000 in civil money penalties for deceiving veterans about refinance benefits
On December 21, the U.S. District Court for the District of Nevada ordered a non-bank mortgage company to pay $268,869 in redress to consumers and a civil penalty of $260,000 in an action brought by the CFPB for engaging in allegedly deceptive lending practices to veterans about the benefits of...
InfoBytesCFPB releases final policy on HMDA data disclosure
On December 21, the CFPB announced final policy guidance covering the loan-level HMDA data the Bureau intends to make publicly available in 2019. The proposed policy was issued in September 2017 (covered by InfoBytes here ) and, after reviewing public comments, the Bureau agreed to modify certain...
InfoBytesCFPB releases annual adjustments to HMDA, TILA, and FCRA; agencies release CRA asset-size threshold adjustments
On December 31, the CFPB published final rules adjusting both the asset-size thresholds under HMDA (Regulation C) and TILA (Regulation Z), and the maximum amount consumer reporting agencies may charge consumers for providing the consumer the consumer’s credit file under FCRA. All rules take effect...
InfoBytesDistrict Court approves $480 million settlement between national bank and investors over incentive compensation sales program
On December 18, the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California granted final approval following a fairness hearing to a $480 million settlement with a national bank to resolve a consolidated class action related to the bank’s previous incentive compensation sales program. As...
InfoBytesKraninger rejects CFPB name change
On December 19, new CFPB Director, Kathy Kraninger emailed staff stating she has decided to not move forward with changing the name of the agency to the Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection. Former acting Director Mick Mulvaney—to whom Kraninger previously reported at the Office of Management...
InfoBytesHouse Democrats urge Kraninger to resume MLA examinations
On December 14, Maxine Waters (D-CA) and 22 other House Democrats issued a letter urging the new CFPB Director, Kathy Kraninger, to resume supervisory examinations of the Military Lending Act (MLA). As previously covered by InfoBytes , according to reports citing “internal agency documents,” the...
InfoBytesDOJ says CFPB structure is unconstitutional, but urges Supreme Court to deny writ since case is a “poor vehicle”
On December 10, the DOJ filed a brief in response to a Texas bank and two associations’ (petitioners) petition for writ of certiorari with the U.S. Supreme Court, challenging the constitutionality of the CFPB’s structure, with the DOJ arguing that the Bureau’s structure infringes on the president’s...
InfoBytesCFPB releases new No-Action Letter policy and new product sandbox
On December 10, the CFPB released a new proposed policy on No-Action Letters (NAL) and a new federal product sandbox. The new NAL proposal, which would replace the 2016 NAL policy, is “designed to increase the utilization of the Policy and bring certain elements more in line with similar no-action...
InfoBytesCFPB releases beta version of HMDA Platform
On December 10, the CFPB announced the beta release of the new HMDA Platform . The beta version enables financial institutions to become familiar with the platform and permits entities to establish log-in credentials, upload sample files, validate data, and confirm their submissions of test data...
InfoBytesCFPB sues mortgage company for allegedly deceiving veterans about refinance benefits
On December 6, the CFPB announced the filing of a complaint and proposed final judgment in the U.S. District Court for the District of Nevada against a non-bank mortgage company for allegedly deceiving veterans about the benefits of refinancing their mortgages in violation of the Consumer Financial...
InfoBytesCFPB’s latest fair lending report focuses on promoting fair, equitable, and nondiscriminatory access to credit
On December 4, the CFPB issued its sixth fair lending report to Congress, which outlines the Bureau’s efforts in 2017. According to the report, in 2017, the Bureau continued to focus on promoting fair, equitable, and nondiscriminatory access to credit, highlighting several fair lending priorities...
InfoBytesSenate confirms Kraninger as new CFPB director
On December 6, the U.S. Senate confirmed, in a 50 to 49 vote, Kathy Kraninger as the new Director of the CFPB for a five year term. Kraninger replaces acting CFPB Director Mick Mulvaney, under whom she served at the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) as the associate director for general...
InfoBytesCFPB publishes quarterly report examining how natural disasters affect credit reporting
On November 21, the CFPB released the latest quarterly consumer credit trends report , which examines how natural disasters affect consumers’ credit reports based on a sample of approximately 5 million credit records. The report notes that while financial institutions are not required to report...
InfoBytesJohn P. Kromer quoted in PaymentsJournal article, “The BCFP’s 'disclosure sandbox' is shovel ready – Who will be the first!”
John P. Kromer was quoted on November 28, 2018 in a PaymentsJournal article, “The BCFP’s 'disclosure sandbox' is shovel ready – Who will be the first!” which discussed the agency’s program that would allow companies to experiment with new product disclosures to consumers. The article stated, “The...
In The NewsAgencies finalize new 2019 thresholds for TILA and CLA
On November 21, the CFPB and the Federal Reserve Board finalized the annual dollar threshold adjustments that govern the application of Regulation Z (Truth in Lending Act) and Regulation M (Consumer Leasing Act) to credit transactions, as required by the Dodd-Frank Act. Each year the thresholds...
InfoBytesAuto lender pays $11.8 million to resolve investigation into add-on product and loan extension program
On November 20, the CFPB announced a settlement with a Texas-based auto lender to resolve allegations that the lender violated the Consumer Financial Protection Act by deceptively marketing an auto-loan guaranteed asset protection (GAP) add-on product and misrepresenting the impact on consumers of...
InfoBytesCFPB updates HOEPA and Loan Originator Rule small entity compliance guides
On November 16, the CFPB released versions 3.0 of its Home Ownership and Equity Protection Act (HOEPA) Rule small entity compliance guide and Loan Originator Rule small entity compliance guide to reflect the changes made by Section 107 of the Economic Growth, Regulatory Relief, and Consumer...
InfoBytesCFPB issues semi-annual report to Congress
On November 9, the CFPB issued its semi-annual report to Congress , covering the Bureau’s work from October 1, 2017 to March 30, 2018. The report, which is required by the Dodd-Frank Act, addresses, among other things, problems faced by consumers with regard to consumer financial products or...
InfoBytesCourt grants request to stay CFPB payday rule compliance date
On November 6, the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas granted two payday loan trade groups’ request to reconsider the court’s June decision to deny a stay of the compliance date (August 19, 2019) of the Bureau’s final rule on payday loans, vehicle title loans, and certain other...
InfoBytesFHFA and CFPB release dataset from National Survey of Mortgage Originations
On November 8, the FHFA and the CFPB announced the release of a new loan-level dataset that was collected through the National Survey of Mortgage Originations (NSMO). Since 2014, in each quarter, FHFA and the CFPB send the NSMO survey to borrowers who recently obtained a mortgage to gather feedback...
InfoBytesCFPB updates HMDA Small Entity Compliance Guide
On October 30, the CFPB released an updated HMDA Small Entity Compliance Guide to reflect Section 104(a) of the Economic Growth, Regulatory Relief, and Consumer Protection Act (the Act) and the 2018 HMDA interpretive and procedural rule. As previously covered by InfoBytes , on August 31, the CFPB...
InfoBytesCFPB releases Remittance Rule assessment report
On October 26, the CFPB released an assessment report of its Remittance Rule, in accordance with the Dodd-Frank Act’s requirements that the Bureau conduct an assessment of each significant rule within five years of the rule’s effective date. The Bureau’s 2013 Remittance Rule (Rule), including its...
InfoBytesCFPB imposes $200,000 fine on small dollar lender for deceptive debt collection practices
On October 24, the CFPB announced a settlement with a Tennessee-based small dollar lender, resolving allegations that the lender violated the Consumer Financial Protection Act (CFPA). Specifically, as stated in the consent order , the CFPB alleges that the lender (i) deceptively threatened to sue...
InfoBytesCFPB will propose changes to ability-to-repay provisions in Payday Rule in January 2019
On October 26, the CFPB announced it expects to publish proposed rules reconsidering the ability-to-repay provisions of the rule covering Payday, Vehicle Title, and Certain High-Cost Installment Loans (the Rule) in January 2019. The Bureau does not intend to reconsider the payment provisions of the...
InfoBytesCFPB releases 50-state complaint snapshot
On October 23, the CFPB released its Complaint snapshot: 50 state report , which covers complaints received by the Bureau from January 2015 through June 2018. According to the report, the Bureau has received more complaints from consumers in California than any other state, followed by Florida and...
InfoBytesBipartisan state Attorneys General coalition urge CFPB to examine for MLA compliance
On October 23, a bipartisan coalition of 33 state Attorneys General sent a letter to acting Director of the CFPB, Mick Mulvaney, expressing concern over reports that the Bureau is no longer supervising financial institutions for compliance with the Military Lending Act (MLA). The Attorneys General...
InfoBytesDistrict Court rejects request for attorneys’ fees in dismissed CFPB debt collection suit
On October 19, the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Ohio entered an order rejecting a request that the CFPB pay $1.2 million in attorney’s fees after the Bureau lost its debt collection lawsuit, finding no evidence of bad faith. As previously covered by InfoBytes , the court entered...
InfoBytesCFPB urges 9th Circuit to reverse district court’s order and impose higher penalty in tribal lending action
On October 19, the CFPB filed its opening brief before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit in Consumer Financial Protection Bureau v. CashCall, Inc. , an action brought by the CFPB to limit the reach of the so-called “tribal model” of online lending. In the original action, the court...
InfoBytesCFPB launches innovation webpage
On October 16, the CFPB announced the launch of its new webpage for innovation , which aims to engage with entrepreneurs and the innovation community to promote competition, innovation, and consumer access within financial services. The webpage is a result of the Bureau’s new Office of Innovation (...
InfoBytes"Finding the purpose in bureau civil investigative demands" by Aaron C. Mahler (Bloomberg BNA)
“Why me?” It’s a common refrain whenever something bad happens. It’s also one of the first questions companies ask when finding themselves on the receiving end of a civil investigative demand from the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. The logical place to look should be the notification of...
ArticlesCFPB publishes fall 2018 rulemaking agenda
On October 17, the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs released the CFPB’s fall 2018 rulemaking agenda . According to the Bureau’s preamble , the information presented is current as of August 30 and represents regulatory matters it “reasonably anticipates” having under consideration during...
InfoBytesCFPB solicits comments on proposed rule regarding civil penalty inflation adjustments
On October 12, the CFPB published an amendment to its rule regarding inflation adjustments for the maximum amount of each civil penalty within its jurisdiction, pursuant to the 2015 Inflation Adjustment Act amendments. Under the Bureau’s amendment, adjusted penalty amounts would only apply to...
InfoBytesCFPB announces settlement with companies that allegedly delayed transfer of consumer payments to debt buyers
On October 4, the CFPB announced a settlement with a group of Minnesota-based companies that allegedly violated the Consumer Financial Protection Act when consumers made payments on debts that the companies had already sold to third parties, and the companies improperly delayed the forwarding of...
InfoBytesJeffrey P. Naimon quoted in American Banker article, “CFPB faces legal minefield in crafting rule on small-business loan data”
Jeffrey P. Naimon was quoted on September 21, 2018 in an American Banker article, “CFPB faces legal minefield in crafting rule on small-business loan data,” which discussed a report from the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau that discusses the issues regulators are facing as they consider asking...
In The NewsCFPB bulletin announces changes to supervisory communications
On September 25, the CFPB issued Bulletin 2018-01 , which announces changes to how it communicates supervisory expectations to institutions. According to the bulletin, effective immediately, examination reports and supervisory letters will include two categories of findings that convey supervisory...
InfoBytesCourt dismisses action by a tribal nation against a national bank for claims relating to the bank’s incentive compensation sales program
On September 25, the U.S. District Court for the District of New Mexico dismissed an action brought by a tribal nation against a national bank alleging, among other things, that the bank’s incentive compensation sales program resulted in the bank’s employees opening deposit and credit card accounts...
InfoBytesCFPB issues report and RFI on data sources and use
On September 25, the CFPB released a report on the Bureau’s data governance program, including what data the Bureau collects, from where the data is sourced, and how the data is used and reused within the Bureau. The report emphasizes that data informs a large portion of the Bureau’s work,...
InfoBytesFederal Reserve seeks to repeal SAFE Act regulations to reflect CFPB authority
On September 21, the Federal Reserve Board (Board) issued a notice of proposed rulemaking seeking comment on the repeal of certain provisions of regulations that incorporate the Secure and Fair Enforcement for Mortgage Licensing Act (SAFE Act), which the Board states are intended to reflect the...
InfoBytesCFPB studies geographic patterns in credit invisibility
On September 19, the CFPB released a new Data Point report from the Office of Research titled, “The Geography of Credit Invisibility,” which examines geographic patterns in the prevalence of “credit invisible” consumers, a term for those who do not have a credit record maintained by a national...
InfoBytesCFPB files lawsuit against pension advance company citing alleged CFPA and TILA violations
On September 13, the CFPB filed a complaint against a pension advance company, its owner, and related entities (defendants) based upon alleged violations of the Consumer Financial Protection Act (CFPA) and the Truth in Lending Act (TILA). In a complaint filed with the U.S. District Court for the...
InfoBytesCourt dismisses NYAG’s claims under CFPA after determining Title X is invalid
On September 12, the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York issued an order dismissing the New York Attorney General’s (NYAG) claims against a New Jersey-based finance company and its affiliates (defendants) under the Consumer Financial Protection Act (CFPA). In doing so, the...
InfoBytesCFPB argues structure is constitutional under current precedent
On September 10, the CFPB rejected the arguments made by two Mississippi-based payday loan and check cashing companies (appellants) challenging the constitutionality of the CFPB’s single director structure. The challenge results from a May 2016 complaint filed by the CFPB against the appellants...
InfoBytesCFPB publishes final rule relating to disclosure of confidential records and information
On September 12, the CFPB published a final rule to modify its procedures for the disclosure of records and information. As previously covered in InfoBytes , the notice of proposed rulemaking—published August 2016—sought to amend procedures used to obtain information from the Bureau under the...
InfoBytesAgencies say supervisory guidance does not have the “force and effect” of law
On September 11, five federal agencies (the Federal Reserve Board , CFPB , FDIC , NCUA , and OCC ) issued a joint statement confirming that supervisory guidance “does not have the force and effect of law, and [that] the agencies do not take enforcement actions based on supervisory guidance.” The...
InfoBytesCFPB issues updated FCRA model disclosures to implement Economic Growth, Regulatory Relief, and Consumer Protection Act amendments
On September 12, the CFPB issued an interim final rule to comply with the Economic Growth, Regulatory Relief, and Consumer Protection Act (the “Act”) (previously Senate bill S. 2155). Section 301(a)(1) of the Act amends the FCRA to add section 605A(i), which requires consumer reporting agencies to...
InfoBytesTexas bank petitions Supreme Court over CFPB constitutionality
On September 6, a Texas bank and two associations (petitioners) filed a petition for writ of certiorari with the U.S. Supreme Court challenging the constitutionality of the CFPB’s structure. Specifically, the petition asks the Court (i) whether the CFPB as an independent agency headed by a single...
InfoBytesCFPB announces all new advisory committee members
On September 7, the CFPB released the new membership details of the Consumer Advisory Board, the Community Bank Advisory Council, and the Credit Union Advisory Council. As previously covered by InfoBytes , in June, acting Director, Mick Mulvaney, removed all the current members of the advisory...
InfoBytesCFPB proposes revisions to trial disclosure policy, creating “Disclosure Sandbox”
On September 10, the CFPB published a proposal to revise its trial disclosure policy in order to “more effectively encourage companies to conduct trial disclosure programs.” The current trial disclosure policy, authorized by Section 1032(e) of the Dodd-Frank Act, was finalized in 2013 and allows...
InfoBytesJeffrey P. Naimon quoted in Inside Mortgage Finance article, “Will CFPB abandon or limit the use of disparate impact?”
Jeffrey P. Naimon was quoted on September 3, 2018 in an Inside Mortgage Finance article, “Will CFPB abandon or limit the use of disparate impact?” which discussed how the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau is expected to view the disparate impact theory under the Trump administration. The article...
In The NewsCFPB issues summer 2018 Supervisory Highlights
On September 6, the CFPB released its summer 2018 Supervisory Highlights , which outlines its supervisory and oversight actions in the areas of auto loan servicing, credit card account management, debt collection, mortgage servicing, payday lending, and small business lending. The findings of the...
InfoBytes14 state Attorneys General urge CFPB not to change ECOA disparate impact liability
On September 5, a coalition of 14 state Attorneys General sent a comment letter to the CFPB raising concerns about statements made by acting Director Mick Mulvaney in May suggesting that the Bureau may reexamine its requirements and enforcement of the Equal Credit Opportunity Act (ECOA). The letter...
InfoBytesCFPB issues HMDA interpretive rule to implement EGRRCPA amendments
On August 31, the CFPB issued an interpretive and procedural rule to implement and clarify the HMDA amendments included in Section 104(a) of the Economic Growth, Regulatory Relief, and Consumer Protection Act (the Act) (previously Senate bill S. 2155). Section 104(a) of the Act amends section 304(i...
InfoBytesCFPB publishes final rule adjusting annual dollar amount thresholds under TILA regulations
On August 27, the CFPB issued a final rule amending Regulation Z, which implements the Truth in Lending Act (TILA), including as amended by the Credit Card Accountability Responsibility and Disclosure Act of 2009 (CARD Act), the Home Ownership and Equity Protection Act of 1994 (HOEPA), and the Dodd...
InfoBytesCFPB publishes quarterly consumer credit trends on telecommunications-debt collection reporting
On August 22, the CFPB released the latest quarterly consumer credit trends report , which focuses on the reporting of telecommunications-debt collections to nationwide consumer reporting agencies based on a sample of approximately 5 million credit records. The report notes that during the past...
InfoBytesCourt opens door for CFPB to appeal constitutionality determination to 2nd Circuit
On August 23, the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York granted the CFPB’s request for entry of final judgment with respect to the court’s June decision to terminate the CFPB as a party to an action. The court has previously concluded that the CFPB could not proceed with its...
InfoBytesSenate Banking Committee narrowly approves Kraninger to head CFPB
On August 23, the Senate Banking Committee approved , in a 13-12 party-line vote, Kathy Kraninger to be the next Director of the CFPB, which carries a five-year term. Kraninger’s nomination next moves to the full Senate. Acting Director, Mick Mulvaney, will remain in his position for the...
InfoBytesAppellants petition 5th Circuit for en banc hearing of CFPB constitutionality challenge
On August 13, two Mississippi-based payday loan and check cashing companies (appellants) filed an unopposed petition for initial hearing en banc with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit regarding a challenge to the constitutionality of the CFPB’s single director structure. In April, the...
InfoBytesCFPB urges court for final judgment in order to appeal constitutionality determination
On August 10, the CFPB submitted a request to the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York for a pre-motion conference to discuss approval to file a motion requesting entry of final judgment with respect to the court’s June decision, which would allow the Bureau to appeal that...
InfoBytes3rd Circuit rules student loan servicer must comply with CID
On August 13, in a divided opinion that is not precedential, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 3rd Circuit affirmed a lower court’s decision to grant a petition filed by the CFPB to enforce a civil investigative demand (CID) issued to a student loan servicer, rejecting arguments that the scope of...
InfoBytesCFPB Succession: Bureau reportedly no longer examining for MLA compliance
According to reports citing “internal agency documents,” acting Director of the CFPB Mick Mulvaney intends to cease supervisory examinations of the Military Lending Act (MLA), contending the law does not explicitly prescribe the Bureau the authority to examine financial institutions for compliance...
InfoBytesCFPB settles unauthorized payday loan allegations
On August 10, the CFPB announced a settlement with multiple defendants that allegedly made unauthorized payday loans. The settlement results from a 2014 complaint that alleged, among other things, that the defendants accessed consumer checking accounts to illegally deposit the proceeds of payday...
InfoBytesCourt again denies request to stay CFPB payday rule compliance date
On August 7, the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas denied a request by two payday loan trade groups to reconsider its June decision denying a stay of the compliance date (August 19, 2019) of the Bureau’s final rule on payday loans, vehicle title loans, and certain other...
InfoBytesRegulators create Global Financial Innovation Network
On August 7, the United Kingdom’s Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) announced the creation of the Global Financial Innovation Network (GFIN) in collaboration with 11 global financial regulators, including the CFPB. As set forth in the GFIN Consultation Document , the three major functions of the...
InfoBytesCFPB updates “workpapers” section of Supervision and Examination Manual
In August, the CFPB released an updated version of the Supervision and Examination Manual , which includes minor changes to the workpapers section of the examination process and an updated scope summary template . According to the manual, workpapers are the records documenting the review conducted...
InfoBytesWashington state updates mortgage provisions of Consumer Loan Act
On July 24, the Washington Department of Financial Institutions adopted new mortgage-related provisions of the state’s Consumer Loan Act (CLA). In addition to technical changes and certain definition modifications, the rulemaking, among other things, (i) adds a requirement that if electronic...
InfoBytesDistrict Court denies service provider’s motion to dismiss on several grounds, rules Bureau’s structure is constitutional
On August 3, the U.S. District Court for the District of Montana denied a Texas-based service provider’s motion to dismiss a suit brought by the CFPB over allegations that the service provider engaged in unfair, deceptive, and abusive acts or practices in violation of the Consumer Financial...
InfoBytesCFPB denies debt collector’s petition to set aside CID
On July 23, the CFPB denied a petition by a debt collector to modify or set aside a civil investigative demand (CID) issued by the Bureau in September 2017. The CID requested information from the debt collector “to determine whether debt collectors, depository institutions, or other persons have...
InfoBytesThomas A. Sporkin quoted in RESPA News article, “How will Supreme Court’s Lucia decision impact CFPB?”
Thomas A. Sporkin was quoted on July 30, 2018 in a RESPA News article, “How will Supreme Court’s Lucia decision impact CFPB?” which discussed the ruling by the Supreme Court in Lucia v. SEC that administrative law judges that are used by the Securities Exchange Commission were appointed improperly...
In The NewsBuckley Sandler Special Alert: OCC announces it will accept fintech charter applications, following the release of Treasury report on nonbank financial institutions
On July 31, the OCC announced that nondepository financial technology firms engaged in one or more core banking functions may apply for a special purpose national bank (SPNB) charter. The announcement follows a report released the same day by the Treasury Department, which discusses a number of...
InfoBytesJonice Gray Tucker interviewed for Dodd Frank Update article, “What truly is surprising about CFPB under Mulvaney?”
Jonice Gray Tucker was interviewed for a Dodd Frank Update article, “What truly is surprising about CFPB under Mulvaney?” which discussed the priorities of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau under Mick Mulvaney’s leadership, and the potential shift in priorities under nominated CFPB director...
In The NewsDistrict court approves stipulated final judgment in favor of CFPB against one of the operators of online lending operation
On July 23, the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Missouri approved a stipulated final judgment and order against one of the two dozen defendants in the CFPB’s suit against an alleged online payday lending operation. In 2014, the Bureau filed a complaint against numerous entities and...
InfoBytesDistrict court dismisses CFPB suit against law firm over debt collection letters
On July 25, the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Ohio entered judgment against the CFPB in its lawsuit against a law firm that had previously collected debts for the State of Ohio under the direction of former Ohio Attorney General and Bureau Director Richard Cordray. The Bureau’s...
InfoBytesHouse passes appropriations bill that includes several financial services provisions, brings CFPB into the appropriations process
On July 19, the House passed H.R. 6147 , the “Interior, Environment, Financial Services, and General Government Appropriations Act, 2019” by a vote of 217 to 199. Under the appropriations bill, the CFPB would be brought into the appropriations process, and a change to Dodd-Frank would strike the “...
InfoBytesCFPB Succession: Kraninger testifies before Senate Banking Committee; Bureau nominates Paul Watkins to lead Office of Innovation
On July 19, the Senate Banking Committee held a confirmation hearing for Kathy Kraninger on her nomination as permanent director of the CFPB. Prior to the hearing, the White House issued a fact sheet asserting that “Kraninger has the management skills and policy background necessary to reform and...
InfoBytesCFPB announces settlement with Alabama-based operation for allegedly failing to properly disclose finance charges
On July 19, the CFPB announced a settlement with a small-dollar lending operation that allegedly failed to properly disclose finance charges and annual percentage rates associated with auto title loans in violation of the Truth in Lending Act (TILA) and the prohibition on deceptive practices in the...
InfoBytesCFPB settles with Kansas-based company and part-owner for debt collection violations
On July 13, the CFPB announced a settlement with a Kansas-based company and its former CEO and part-owner for using a network of debt collection agencies (the Agencies) that allegedly engaged in improper debt collection tactics in violation of the prohibitions in the Consumer Financial Protection...
InfoBytesTexas Attorney General leads 14-state brief to 5th Circuit challenging CFPB structure
On July 10, the Attorney General of Texas and 13 other state Attorneys General filed an amici curiae brief with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit, challenging the constitutionality of the CFPB. As previously covered by InfoBytes , in April, the 5th Circuit agreed to hear a challenge by...
InfoBytesNew York Attorney General: Don’t delay action if CFPB appeals constitutionality determination
On July 9, the New York Attorney General and a New Jersey-based litigation funding company and its affiliates filed a joint letter in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York addressing how the parties would like to proceed in the legal matter after the court terminated the...
InfoBytesFTC, CFPB discuss scope of Fair Credit Reporting Act during Senate Banking Committee hearing
On July 12, the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs held a hearing entitled “An Overview of the Credit Bureaus and the Fair Credit Reporting Act” to discuss the scope and enforcement of the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA), the measures undertaken by the CFPB and the FTC to...
InfoBytesCFPB Succession: Leandra English steps down, seeks to dismiss appeal; Mulvaney selects close advisor to be new deputy
On July 9, Leandra English filed a motion for voluntary dismissal with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit, effectively ending her eight-month legal battle over the appointment of Mick Mulvaney as acting director of the CFPB. The motion follows an announcement released via Twitter on...
InfoBytesCFPB, OCC, and FDIC release statement on HMDA exemption in regulatory relief act
On July 5, the CFPB issued a statement regarding the implementation of the partial HMDA exemptions in the Economic Growth, Regulatory Relief, and Consumer Protection Act (the Act), S.2155/ P.L. 115-174, which was signed into law by President Trump on May 24. As previously covered by InfoBytes , the...
InfoBytesCFPB announces settlement with national bank to resolve alleged TILA violations
On June 29, the CFPB announced a $335 million settlement with a national bank who allegedly violated the Truth in Lending Act by failing to properly implement annual percentage rate (APR) reevaluation requirements, which would reduce APRs for certain consumer credit card accounts, consistent with...
InfoBytesCFPB studies how borrowers transition out of student loan debt
On June 29, the CFPB released a new Data Point report from the Office of Research titled, “Final Student Loan Payments and Broader Household Borrowing,” which examines how student borrowers transition out of their student loan debt and repayment patterns are interconnected with general household...
InfoBytesNY District Court holds CFPB structure is unconstitutional
On June 21, the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York terminated the CFPB as a party to an action against a New Jersey-based finance company and its affiliates (defendants), concluding that the CFPB’s organizational structure is unconstitutional and therefore, the agency lacks...
InfoBytesSupreme Court holds SEC ALJs are subject to the Appointments Clause of the Constitution
On June 21, the U.S. Supreme Court held , in Lucia v. SEC , that SEC administrative law judges (ALJs) are “inferior officers” subject to the Appointments Clause (Clause) of the Constitution. The case began when the SEC instituted an administrative proceeding against the petitioner resulting in a...
InfoBytesNew York Fed report finds CFPB oversight does not significantly reduce volume of mortgage lending
The Federal Reserve Bank of New York (New York Fed) released a June 2018 Staff Report titled “Does CFPB Oversight Crimp Credit?” which concludes that there is little evidence that CFPB oversight significantly reduces the overall volume of mortgage lending. The report compared the lending outcomes...
InfoBytesTrump intends to nominate Kathleen Kraninger to be director of the CFPB
On June 18, the White House announced President Trump’s selection of Kathleen Kraninger to be the director of the CFPB for a five-year term. Kraninger currently serves as the associate director for general government at the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). Prior to OMB, Kraninger worked at...
InfoBytesCFPB fines installment lender $5 million for improper collection and credit reporting practices
On June 13, the CFPB ordered a South Carolina-based installment lender and its subsidiaries to pay $5 million in civil money penalties for allegedly making improper in-person and telephonic collection attempts in violation of the Consumer Financial Protection Act (CFPA) and inaccurately furnishing...
InfoBytesDistrict Court denies joint request to stay payday rule but agrees to stay lawsuit
On June 12, the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas denied a joint request by the CFPB and two payday loan trade groups to stay the compliance date (August 19, 2019) of the Bureau’s final rule on payday loans, vehicle title loans, and certain other high-cost installment loans (...
InfoBytesCFPB publishes quarterly consumer credit trends: End-of-year credit card borrowing
On June 7, the CFPB released the latest quarterly consumer credit trends report , which focuses on credit card borrowing patterns at the end of the year using data from the CFPB’s Consumer Credit Panel. The report notes that consumer spending peaks each year during the “holiday shopping season” in...
InfoBytesJonice Gray Tucker interviewed by Dodd Frank Update in “What states can, cannot do to supervise financial marketplace”
Jonice Gray Tucker was interviewed on June 4, 2016 in a Dodd Frank Update article “What states can, cannot do to supervise financial marketplace,” which examined the many questions the financial industry may have regarding the states’ role in supervising the financial marketplace, a task which,...
In The NewsCourt denies attorney’s move for summary judgment against CFPB as premature
On June 4, the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland issued a Memorandum to Counsel denying defendants’ dispositive motions in a UDAAP action brought by the CFPB alleging the defendants employed abusive practices when purchasing structured settlements from consumers in exchange for lump-...
InfoBytesCFPB dismisses PHH suit and removes all members of three advisory councils
On June 7, acting Director of the CFPB, Mick Mulvaney, dismissed the Bureau’s action against PHH, which spawned years of litigation and a constitutional challenge to the CFPB’s structure. In January, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit issued its en banc decision concluding the CFPB’s...
InfoBytesSixteen State Attorneys General urge the CFPB to maintain the public consumer complaint database
On June 4, the New York Attorney General, Barbara Underwood, along with fourteen other state Attorneys General submitted a comment letter in response to the CFPB’s Request for Information (RFI) on the public reporting of consumer complaints, previously covered by InfoBytes here . The Attorneys...
InfoBytesFTC reports on certain 2017 enforcement activities to the CFPB
On May 17, in response to a request from the CFPB, the FTC transmitted a letter summarizing its 2017 enforcement activities related to Regulation Z (TILA), Regulation M (Consumer Leasing Act), and Regulation E (Electronic Fund Transfer Act) for the CFPB’s use in preparing its 2017 Annual Report to...
InfoBytesCFPB releases complaint snapshot on debt collection
On May 31, the CFPB released a complaint snapshot on debt collection , which provides a high-level overview of trends from all consumer complaints and additional details related to debt collection complaints. The CFPB reports that it has received approximately 1,492,600 total complaints as of April...
InfoBytesWarren W. Traiger quoted in American Banker article, “CFPB’s Mulvaney plots HMDA rollback, but it may not matter”
Warren Traiger was quoted on May 25, 2018 in an American Banker article, “CFPB’s Mulvaney plots HMDA rollback, but it may not matter,” which discussed acting director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Mick Mulvaney's remarks to scale back Home Mortgage Disclosure Act requirements,...
In The NewsCFPB Succession: Bureau asks court to stay payday rule litigation; Mulvaney: Bureau may resume PII collection; working on a fintech regulatory “sandbox”; will consider scale and frequency of violations in future actions
On May 31, the CFPB filed a joint motion with two payday loan trade groups, requesting a stay of litigation pending the Bureau’s reconsideration of its final rule on payday loans, vehicle title loans, and certain other high-cost installment loans (Rule) and requesting a stay of the compliance date—...
InfoBytesOCC encourages banks to offer short-term, small-dollar installment lending
On May 23, the OCC released Bulletin 2018-14 , which encourages banks to meet the credit needs of consumers by offering short-term, small-dollar installment loans subject to the OCC’s core lending principles. The Bulletin acknowledges the CFPB’s final rule on Payday, Vehicle Title, and Certain High...
InfoBytesDistrict court sanctions banker for violating consent order issued by CFPB and Maryland Attorney General
On May 21, the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland granted in part and denied in part a motion for sanctions brought by the CFPB and the Consumer Protection Division of the Maryland Attorney General’s Office (plaintiffs) against a banker (defendant) previously held in civil contempt...
InfoBytesTrump signs legislation enacting bipartisan regulatory relief bill
On May 24, President Trump signed the Economic Growth, Regulatory Relief, and Consumer Protection Act (S. 2155) (the bill) — which modifies provisions of the Dodd-Frank Act and eases certain regulations on certain smaller banks and credit unions. Upon signing, the White House released a statement...
InfoBytesCourt enters default judgment in favor of CFPB against debt relief companies
On May 22, the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland entered a default judgment, in favor of the CFPB, against two debt relief companies, their service provider, and their owners (defendants) for allegedly misleading consumers about their debt validation program. As previously covered by...
InfoBytesTrump signs legislation repealing CFPB auto guidance, Mulvaney praises action; CFPB to reexamine ECOA requirements
On May 21, President Trump signed resolution S.J. Res. 57 , which repeals CFPB Bulletin 2013-02 on indirect auto lending and compliance with the Equal Credit Opportunity Act (ECOA). The president’s signature completes the disapproval process under the Congressional Review Act (CRA), which began...
InfoBytesCFPB updates TRID Small Entity Compliance Guide and Guide to Forms
On May 15, the CFPB released the 2018 updated versions of the “Know Before You Owe” mortgage disclosure rule Small Entity Compliance Guide (versions 4.1 and 5.2 ) and Guide to Forms (versions 1.5 and 2.1 ). Because the optional compliance period with the 2017 TILA-RESPA Integrated Disclosure Rule (...
InfoBytesDOJ, CFPB agree to early termination of consent order with indirect auto lender
On May 15, the auto lending branch of an international automobile company (indirect auto lender) reported in an 8-K filing that the DOJ and CFPB had reached an agreement that the indirect auto lender has met the requirements for early termination of a consent order entered into in 2016 over...
InfoBytesHouse approves repeal of CFPB’s 2013 indirect auto guidance
On May 8, the House voted to repeal, under the Congressional Review Act (CRA), CFPB Bulletin 2013-02 (Bulletin) on indirect auto lending and compliance with the Equal Credit Opportunity Act (ECOA). As previously covered by InfoBytes , the Senate approved the resolution on April 18 and the White...
InfoBytesCFPB Succession: Bureau dismantles Office for Students; no longer plans student loan regulations; and more
On May 9, according to multiple reports, the CFPB internally announced that the Bureau would eliminate the Office of Students & Younger Consumers and move its staff into the Office of Financial Education as part of acting Director Mulvaney’s agency reorganization. The Bureau will continue to...
InfoBytesFFIEC releases 2017 HMDA data; CFPB releases new annual report on mortgage market activity and trends
On May 7, the Federal Financial Institutions Examinations Council released the 2017 Home Mortgage Disclosure Act (HMDA) data on mortgage lending transactions covering information submitted by financial institutions on or before April 18. The data will not remain static, but instead will be updated...
InfoBytesNational bank reaches $480 million settlement with investors over incentive compensation sales program
On May 4, a national bank announced it reached an agreement in principle to pay $480 million to certain investors to resolve a consolidated securities fraud class action, related to the bank’s previous incentive compensation sales program. The class action stems from the September 2016 consent...
InfoBytesPennsylvania adopts CFPB mortgage servicing regulations
On April 28, the Pennsylvania Department of Banking and Securities adopted regulations to effectively incorporate Subpart C of the CFPB’s RESPA mortgage servicing regulations (Regulation X), which were amended effective as of April 19. The adopted regulations address, among other things, (i)...
InfoBytesDistrict Court partially denies defendants’ time-barred claims, rules certain TSR violations may proceed
On May 3, the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California addressed time-barred claims raised by a group of affiliated law firms and their managing attorneys (defendants) that partnered with a now-defunct entity to offer debt relief services to consumers. The court granted in part...
InfoBytesPHH will not challenge CFPB’s constitutionality with Supreme Court
PHH will not seek to appeal the January 31 decision by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit, which upheld the CFPB’s constitutionality in a 7-3 decision. (Covered by a Buckley Sandler Special Alert .) The Supreme Court requires petitions for writ of certiorari to be filed within 90 days...
InfoBytesSenators release report on credit reporting agency from data in CFPB’s public complaint database
On April 30, three Democratic Senate Banking Committee members released a report addressing publicly available complaints the CFPB received regarding the 2017 data breach announcement by a national credit reporting agency. In a letter to the CFPB, which accompanied the release of the report, the...
InfoBytesCoalition of state Attorneys General oppose efforts to weaken CFPB’s investigative authority
On April 25, a coalition of 16 state Attorneys General issued a comment letter responding to the CFPB’s Request for Information (RFI) on Civil Investigative Demands (CIDs). (See previous InfoBytes coverage on the RFI here and here .) According to the letter, the coalition opposes “any effort to...
InfoBytes5th Circuit will hear CFPB constitutionality challenge
On April 24, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit agreed to hear a challenge by two Mississippi-based payday loan and check cashing companies to the constitutionality of the CFPB’s single-director structure. The CFPB filed a complaint against the two companies in May 2016 alleging...
InfoBytesCFPB finalizes KBYO amendment to address “black hole”
On April 26, the CFPB issued a final amendment to its “Know Before You Owe” mortgage disclosure rule to address when mortgage lenders with a valid changed circumstance or other justification are permitted to reset tolerances and pass on increased closing costs to consumers using the Closing...
InfoBytesFederal Reserve releases updates to interagency examination procedures for Regulations X and Z
On April 19, the Federal Reserve Board (Fed) issued a consumer affairs letter ( CA 18-3 ) announcing revised interagency examination procedures for Regulation X (RESPA) and Regulation Z (TILA) that supersede procedures previously issued in September 2015. The updated procedures account for...
InfoBytesStudent loan servicer must comply with CFPB CID pending appeal
On April 17, the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania ordered a student loan servicer to comply with a CFPB Civil investigative Demand (CID), while the servicer awaits appeal. As previously covered by InfoBytes , in February the court enforced a CFPB CID issued against the...
InfoBytesCFPB and OCC fine national bank $1 billion for mortgage and auto lending practices
On April 20, the CFPB, in coordination with the OCC, announced a $1 billion settlement with a national bank for certain auto and mortgage lending practices the bank had previously discontinued and for which voluntary consumer remediation was initiated by the bank. According to the CFPB consent...
InfoBytesSenate votes to block CFPB’s 2013 indirect auto guidance
On April 18, the Senate voted to strike down, under the Congressional Review Act, the CFPB’s Bulletin 2013-02 (Bulletin) on indirect auto lending and compliance with the Equal Credit Opportunity Act (ECOA). The vote follows a December 2017 letter issued by the Government Accountability Office (GAO...
InfoBytesCFPB Succession: Mulvaney pleads for Congress to restructure the CFPB; oral arguments held in English litigation
On April 11 and 12, acting Director of the CFPB, Mick Mulvaney, testified before the House Financial Services Committee and the Senate Banking Committee regarding the Bureau’s semi-annual report to Congress. (Previously covered by InfoBytes here ). Mulvaney’s prepared testimony , which was...
InfoBytesDistrict court rejects motions for summary judgement on FDCPA claims filed by CFPB, debt collection law firm
On April 9, the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Ohio rejected motions for partial summary judgment and summary judgment filed respectively by the CFPB and a law firm accused of making false representations regarding attorney involvement in debt collection calls in violation of the...
InfoBytesCFPB releases RFI on consumer complaints and inquiries
On April 11, the CFPB released its twelfth (and apparently final) Request for Information (RFI) in a series seeking feedback on the Bureau’s operations. This RFI solicits public comment to assist the Bureau in assessing its handling of consumer complaints and consumer inquiries. Pursuant to the...
InfoBytesCFPB releases RFI on financial education programs
On April 4, the CFPB released its eleventh Request for Information (RFI) in a series seeking feedback on the Bureau’s operations. This RFI solicits public comment to assist the Bureau in “assessing the overall efficiency and effectiveness of its consumer financial education programs.” Pursuant to...
InfoBytesMulvaney requests more oversight and accountability for the Bureau in semi-annual report to Congress
On April 2, the CFPB issued its semi-annual report to Congress covering the Bureau’s work from April 1, 2017 to September 30, 2017. The report details, among other things, problems faced by consumers with regard to consumer financial products or services; significant rules and orders adopted by the...
InfoBytesCFPB appeals $10 million order in payday lender suit
On March 27, the CFPB filed a notice of appeal to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit in response to a district court’s order that an online loan servicer and its affiliates pay a $10 million penalty for offering high-interest loans in states with usury laws barring the transactions—a...
InfoBytesCFPB updates mortgage servicing Small Entity Compliance Guide, releases mortgage servicing coverage chart
On March 29, the CFPB released version 3.1 of its mortgage servicing Small Entity Compliance Guide . The updated guide supports the implementation of the 2016 Mortgage Servicing Final Rule, including the amendment to the Rule released earlier this month. The Rule replaces the previous single-...
InfoBytesCFPB Succession: CFPB drops payday lawsuit, new CRA measures introduced in Congress
On March 22, Senator Moran, R-Kan, with 15 GOP co-sponsors introduced a resolution under the Congressional Review Act to block the CFPB’s Bulletin 2013-02 (Bulletin) on indirect auto lending and compliance with the Equal Credit Opportunity Act (ECOA). The resolution follows a December 2017 letter...
InfoBytesCFPB releases RFI on guidance and implementation materials
On March 28, the CFPB released its tenth Request for Information (RFI) in a series seeking feedback on the Bureau’s operations. This RFI solicits public comment to assist the Bureau in “assessing the overall effectiveness and accessibility of its guidance materials and activities (including...
InfoBytesFTC responds to CFPB RFI on CIDs
On March 27, the FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection (BCP) released its comment letter responding to the CFPB’s Request for Information (RFI) on Civil Investigative Demands (CIDs) – the first RFI in a series seeking feedback on the CFPB’s operations (previously covered by InfoBytes here )...
InfoBytesCFPB and FTC issue annual report on 2017 debt collection activities
On March 20, the CFPB and the FTC issued an annual report to Congress on the agencies’ collective actions to combat illegal debt collection practices based on their shared enforcement responsibilities under the FDCPA. The report was released pursuant to a 2012 Memorandum of Understanding between...
InfoBytesCourt denies CFPB motion to reconsider, applies new RESPA safe harbor
On March 22, the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Kentucky denied the CFPB’s motion to reconsider an opinion issued in July 2017, which held that a safe harbor provision for affiliated business arrangements under Section 8(c)(4) of RESPA protects a Louisville law firm's relationship...
InfoBytesCFPB releases RFI on inherited rules, extends comment period for first three RFIs
On March 22, the CFPB released its ninth Request for Information (RFI) in a series seeking feedback on the Bureau’s operations. This RFI solicits public comment to assist the Bureau in deciding “whether it should amend the regulations or exercise the rulemaking authorities that it inherited from...
InfoBytesCFPB releases FAQs on bankruptcy issues under the 2016 Mortgage Servicing Final Rule
On March 20, the CFPB released updated FAQs to support the implementation of the 2016 Mortgage Servicing Final Rule. Specifically, the updated FAQs pertain to the mortgage-servicing provisions regarding bankruptcy, which are effective April 19. The CFPB released ten bankruptcy-related question and...
InfoBytesCFPB releases RFI on adopted regulations and new rulemaking authorities
On March 14, the CFPB released its eighth Request for Information (RFI) in a series seeking feedback on the Bureau’s operations. This RFI solicits public comment to assist the Bureau in deciding “whether it should amend any rules it has issued since its creation or issue rules under new rulemaking...
InfoBytesSenate passes bipartisan financial regulatory reform bill
On March 14, by a vote of 67-31, the Senate passed the Economic Growth, Regulatory Relief, and Consumer Protection Act (S. 2155) (the bill)—a bipartisan regulatory reform bill crafted by Senate Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee Chairman Mike Crapo, R-Idaho—that would repeal or modify...
InfoBytesDistrict Court denies payment company’s request to set aside judgment
On March 12, the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California denied a company’s post-trial motions to set aside September 2017 judgments in a lawsuit brought by the CFPB for alleged violations of the Consumer Financial Protection Act (CFPA). Specifically, the bi-weekly payments...
InfoBytesCFPB updates prepaid rule Small Entity Compliance Guide
On March 13, the CFPB released version 3.0 of its prepaid rule Small Entity Compliance Guide and the guide to Preparing Short Form Disclosure for Prepaid Accounts . The updated guides reflect the 2018 final rule governing prepaid accounts (Rule). As previously covered by Infobytes , in December...
InfoBytesJudge orders student loan servicer to comply with CFPB CID
On February 28, the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania granted the CFPB’s petition to enforce a Civil Investigative Demand (CID) issued against a student loan servicer. According to the opinion, the student loan servicer filed a petition with the CFPB to set aside a June...
InfoBytesCFPB releases RFI on rulemaking process
On March 7, the CFPB released its seventh Request for Information (RFI) in a series seeking feedback on the Bureau’s operations. This RFI solicits public comment regarding “the overall efficiency and effectiveness of its rulemaking processes.” The RFI emphasizes that the Bureau is not seeking...
InfoBytesCFPB releases 2018 lists of rural, underserved counties
On March 6, the CFPB released its annual list of rural counties and rural or underserved counties for lenders to use when determining qualified exemptions under certain TILA regulatory requirements. In addition to these lists, the Bureau also directed lenders to use its web-based Rural or...
InfoBytesCFPB issues final rule on periodic statements during bankruptcy
On March 8, the CFPB issued a final rule updating technical aspects of the upcoming periodic statement requirements for borrowers in bankruptcy under Regulation Z. The Bureau adopted the proposed rule, released in October 2017, without revision (previously covered by InfoBytes here ). Specifically...
InfoBytesBuckley Sandler Special Alert: Mulvaney says the CFPB will depend heavily on state Attorneys General for enforcement of consumer protection laws
Buckley Sandler Special Alert Mick Mulvaney, the acting director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, in a February 28 speech, outlined the Bureau’s overall direction and strategic priorities, and described plans to coordinate with state Attorneys General in enforcing federal consumer...
InfoBytesCFPB releases RFI on complaint reporting
On March 1, the CFPB released its sixth Request for Information (RFI) in a series seeking feedback on the bureau’s operations. This RFI solicits public comment regarding “potential changes that can be implemented to the Bureau’s public reporting practices of consumer complaint information.” Under...
InfoBytesCFPB reviews removal of public records from credit reports
On February 22, the CFPB released a report finding that the removal of public records from consumer credit reports may have had an effect on consumers’ credit scores. The report reviewed the impact of the civil public records minimum information standards established pursuant to the National...
InfoBytesCFPB releases RFI on external engagements
On February 21, the CFPB released its fifth Request for Information (RFI) in a series seeking feedback on the bureau’s operations. This RFI solicits public comment on how the Bureau can best “conduct future external engagements while continuing to achieve the Bureau’s statutory objectives.”...
InfoBytesCFPB Succession: CFPB releases five-year strategic plan; Trump’s budget proposal suggests cuts
On February 12, the CFPB released its five-year strategic plan , which establishes the agency’s long-term strategic goals with corresponding objectives and achievement strategies. The strategic plan also introduces a new stated mission for the CFPB, which is based on Sections 1011(a) and 1013(d) of...
InfoBytesPresident Trump releases 2019 budget proposal; key areas of reform include appropriation shifts, cybersecurity, and financial crimes
On February 12, the White House released its fiscal 2019 budget request, Efficient, Effective, Accountable, an American Budget (2019 budget proposal), along with Major Savings and Reforms (MSR) and an Appendix . The mission of the President’s budget sets forth priorities, including imposing fiscal...
InfoBytesCFPB releases RFI on supervision process
On February 14, the CFPB released its fourth Request for Information (RFI) in a series seeking feedback on the Bureau’s operations. While prior RFIs have focused on various aspects of the Bureau’s enforcement process, this RFI solicits public comment on “how best to achieve meaningful burden...
InfoBytesCFPB Succession: Senators express concern over CFPB’s investigation into data breach; Otting praises Mulvaney; & more
On February 7, a bipartisan group of 32 senators wrote to the CFPB expressing concerns over reports that the Bureau may have halted an investigation into a large credit reporting agency’s significant data breach. The letter requests specific information related to agency’s oversight over the issue...
InfoBytesCFPB releases RFI on enforcement process
On February 7, the CFPB released its third Request for Information (RFI) in a series seeking feedback on the bureau’s operations. This RFI solicits public comment on “information to help assess the overall efficiency and effectiveness of [the bureau’s] processes related to the enforcement of...
InfoBytesCFPB releases HMDA formatting tool and updates filing instructions
On February 1, the CFPB launched their 2018 Loan/Application Register (LAR) Formatting Tool (the “Tool”). According to the website, the Tool is intended to assist small volume lenders in creating an electronic file to submit to the HMDA Platform . The Tool is only intended to be used by...
InfoBytesDistrict judge enters final judgment against company posing as a direct lender; rules in favor of CFPB
On January 30, a federal judge for the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York ordered a New Jersey-based company along with two associated individuals (defendants) to pay civil money penalties totaling $75,000 for allegedly offering loans to consumers who were awaiting payouts...
InfoBytesCFPB Succession: Mulvaney removes Fair Lending office enforcement power; Warren sends payday congressional inquiry
On February 1, it was reported that Mulvaney has moved The Office of Fair Lending and Equal Opportunity from the Supervision, Enforcement and Fair Lending division (SEFL) of the CFPB to the Office of the Director. According to sources, Mulvaney sent an email which states that the Fair Lending...
InfoBytesCFPB releases RFI on administrative adjudications
On January 31, the CFPB released its Request for Information (RFI) on administrative adjudications, which solicits public comment on the process for the Bureau to “better understand the benefits and impacts of its use of administrative adjudications, and how its existing process may be improved.”...
InfoBytesBuckley Sandler Special Alert: D.C. Circuit upholds CFPB’s constitutionality but rejects its interpretation of RESPA
On January 31, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit issued its long-awaited en banc decision in CFPB v. PHH Corporation . In a 7-3 decision, the court concluded that the CFPB’s single-director structure is constitutional, even though the president can only remove the director for cause...
InfoBytesNYDFS promises to fill CFPB regulatory void
On January 25, the New York Department of Financial Services (NYDFS) Superintendent, Maria T. Vullo, issued a statement critical of the recent policy changes by the CFPB’s new leadership. As previously covered by InfoBytes , acting CFPB Director Mick Mulvaney announced, among other things, that the...