The California Legislature is moving forward with two bills that would meaningfully reshape the boundaries of consumer legal funding and legal advertising practices in the state. Assembly Bill 931 and Senate Bill 37, while...more
7/24/2025
/ Advertising ,
Attorney's Fees ,
California ,
Consumer Protection Laws ,
Fees ,
Legislative Agendas ,
New Legislation ,
Private Right of Action ,
Proposed Legislation ,
Regulatory Requirements ,
State Legislatures
In a recent enforcement action highlighting its ongoing scrutiny of deceptive debt relief schemes, the Federal Trade Commission (“FTC”) has shut down an operation accused of falsely representing affiliations with government...more
On March 25, 2025, North Carolina Senators Johnson (R), Overcash (R), and Jackson (R) as primary sponsors introduced Senate Bill 491 (“S.B. 491” or the “Bill”), which seeks to license, examine, and regulate debt settlement...more
On March 4, 2024, a federal trial court in New York immediately banned a slew of debt relief service providers from charging and/or collecting any advance fees for debt relief services, finding that the defendant’s initial...more
3/8/2024
/ Debt Relief ,
Debt-Relief Industry ,
Evidentiary Hearings ,
Face-to-Face Narrative Requirement ,
Fees ,
Independent Contractors ,
New York ,
Orders of Prohibition ,
Public Notaries ,
State Bans ,
Telemarketing Sales Rule ,
Trial Court Orders
On February 6, 2024, the Federal Trade Commission (“FTC”) filed two proposed stipulated orders with a California federal court to permanently ban student debt relief companies as well as their individual operators. The...more
2/7/2024
/ California ,
Consumer Financial Products ,
Debt Relief ,
Enforcement Actions ,
Federal Trade Commission (FTC) ,
Fees ,
Fraud ,
Fraudulent Marketing ,
FTC Act ,
Loan Forgiveness ,
Student Loans ,
Telemarketing Sales Rule ,
Unfair or Deceptive Trade Practices
In recent weeks, we have seen an increase in prosecution by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (“CFPB”) and state attorneys general against debt relief companies and law firms. Additionally, the focus on these debt...more
On July 11, 2023, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) issued a consent order against Bank of America (BoA) based on the CFPB’s findings that BoA had engaged in unfair and deceptive trade practices. This consent...more
The California Consumer Financial Protection Law (“CCFPL”), established in September of 2020 under Governor Newsom, augmented the Department of Financial Protection & Innovation’s (“DFPI”) authoritative ability by increasing...more
3/28/2023
/ California ,
California Consumer Financial Protection Law (CCFPL) ,
Check Cashing ,
Consumer Credit Reporting Agencies Act (CCRAA) ,
Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) ,
Credit Repair Services ,
Debt Collection ,
Debt Settlement Services ,
Department of Financial Protection and Innovation (DFPI) ,
Fees ,
Financing ,
Lead Generators ,
Licensing Rules ,
Proposed Regulation ,
Registration Requirement ,
Rent-to-Own Companies ,
Reporting Requirements ,
Retail Sales ,
Student Loans
Recent Consent Order Issued by the DFPI Against Student Loan Relief Company -
On February 28, 2023, the California Department of Financial Protection and Innovation (DFPI) announced that it has entered into a Consent Order...more
3/2/2023
/ California ,
California Consumer Financial Protection Law (CCFPL) ,
Consent Order ,
Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) ,
Debt Relief ,
Department of Education ,
Department of Financial Protection and Innovation (DFPI) ,
Federal Trade Commission (FTC) ,
Fees ,
FTC Act ,
Loan Forgiveness ,
Student Loans ,
Telemarketing
On January 11, 2023, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) proposed a new rule to apparently shed light on the dark corners of the financial industry. The proposed rule would create a public registry of the fine...more
On December 1, 2022, the New York Department of Financial Services (NYDFS) issued a press release regarding a proposed regulation that details how licensed virtual currency businesses would be assessed for supervision and...more