While the federal government’s campaign against hidden “junk” fees intensifies, state attorneys general (AGs) have long been contesting concealed costs as unfair or deceptive — especially in the absence of sufficient...more
12/29/2023
/ Consumer Financial Products ,
Convenience Fees ,
False Advertising ,
Financial Regulatory Reform ,
Financial Services Industry ,
Goods or Services ,
Misleading Impressions ,
Processing Fees ,
Proposed Legislation ,
Regulatory Agenda ,
State Attorneys General ,
Unfair or Deceptive Trade Practices
On November 28, Massachusetts Attorney General (AG) Campbell reached an $8.75 million settlement with Rent-A-Center (RAC), the nation’s largest rent-to-own company specializing in consumer goods leases. The settlement aimed...more
On November 20, Delaware Attorney General (AG) Kathy Jennings, along with the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) and 11 other states, announced a settlement in excess of $30 million with Prehired LLC and affiliated...more
11/30/2023
/ Chapter 11 ,
Consumer Bankruptcy ,
Consumer Financial Products ,
Consumer Financial Protection Act (CFPA) ,
Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) ,
Debt Collection ,
Delaware ,
FDCPA ,
Financial Services Industry ,
Income Share Agreements ,
Regulation Z ,
Regulatory Oversight ,
Settlement ,
State Attorneys General ,
Statutory Violations ,
Stipulated Judgment ,
Student Loans ,
Truth in Lending Act (TILA) ,
Unfair or Deceptive Trade Practices
On November 3, Colorado Attorney General (AG) Phil Weiser announced that his office reached a settlement with Touchstone Partners, Inc. (Touchstone), a noted debt management company. The AG’s allegations were that Touchstone...more
11/17/2023
/ Consumer Financial Products ,
Consumer Lenders ,
Debt Collection ,
Debt Collectors ,
Debt Management Companies ,
Debtors ,
Enforcement Actions ,
Financial Services Industry ,
Popular ,
Settlement ,
State Attorneys General
On October 17, following Washington Attorney General (AG) Bob Ferguson’s unsuccessful consumer protection action against thrift store chain, Savers Value Village Inc. (Savers), the Washington Superior Court of King County...more
On October 17, 52 state and territorial attorneys general, in addition to state money transmission regulators, entered into settlements amounting to more than $20 million with ACI Worldwide (ACI), to resolve claims involving...more
10/20/2023
/ Data Breach ,
Data Privacy ,
Data Security ,
Financial Institutions ,
Financial Services Industry ,
Insufficient Funds ,
Money Transmitter ,
Mortgages ,
Payment Processors ,
Settlement ,
State Attorneys General ,
State Regulators ,
Third Party Payments ,
Unauthorized Transactions
On September 13, Tennessee Attorney General (AG) Jonathan Skrmetti sent a letter to members of the Net Zero Financial Service Providers Alliance (NZFSPA) warning that their commitment to support “global net zero greenhouse...more
On August 21, the U.S. Supreme Court denied a request by West Virginia Attorney General (AG) Patrick Morrisey and 26 other state AGs to participate in oral arguments in Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) et al. v....more
8/30/2023
/ Amicus Briefs ,
CFPB v Community Financial Services Association of America ,
Constitutional Challenges ,
Consumer Financial Protection Act (CFPA) ,
Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) ,
Dodd-Frank ,
Federal Funding ,
Federal Reserve ,
Financial Services Industry ,
Oral Argument ,
Payday Lending Rule ,
Regulatory Authority ,
Regulatory Oversight ,
SCOTUS ,
State Attorneys General
Rhode Island Attorney General Peter F. Neronha announced a total settlement of $557,815 with three car dealerships to resolve allegations that the dealerships...more
On June 13, Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) Director Rohit Chopra provided the CFPB’s semiannual report to Congress, which included concerns about predatory house-flipping practices by companies like HomeVestors....more
On June 7, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) announced a request for information (RFI) to gain additional insight into how it can optimize joint enforcement with state attorneys general (state AGs) to protect consumers from...more
On May 10, SoLo Funds, Inc. (Solo), one of the largest community lending platforms in the United States, entered into a settlement with the District of Columbia attorney general (OAG). The settlement resolves claims that the...more
6/5/2023
/ Attorney General ,
Consumer Financial Products ,
Consumer Protection Act ,
Enforcement Actions ,
Financial Services Industry ,
Lenders ,
Loans ,
Online Marketplace Lending ,
Regulatory Oversight ,
Unfair or Deceptive Trade Practices ,
Usury
As discussed here, on December 7, 2022, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB or Bureau) made a preliminary conclusion that a New York commercial financing law was not preempted by the Truth in Lending Act (TILA)....more
As discussed here, on October 19, the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals in Community Financial Services Association of America Ltd. (CFSA) v. Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) held that the CFPB’s funding mechanism...more
Yesterday, 14 Republican attorneys general (AGs) filed an amicus brief in support of a lawsuit brought by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and other co-plaintiffs against the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB or the...more
Please join Consumer Financial Services Partner Chris Willis and his colleagues Stefanie Jackman and Chris Carlson as they discuss the recent action by the Massachusetts attorney general (AG) involving automobile dealer...more
In response to the Fifth Circuit’s ruling in Community Financial Services Association of America, Ltd. v. Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFSA) that the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s (CFPB) funding mechanism is...more
In March 2022, state attorneys general provided comments to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) concerning the CFPB’s inquiry into companies that offer consumers the opportunity to divide the cost of their...more