Our special guest is Malini Mithal, Associate Director of the FTC’s Division of Financial Practices. In this episode, which repurposes a recent webinar, we review highlights of FTC regulatory and enforcement activity in 2023...more
4/4/2024
/ Advertising ,
Artificial Intelligence ,
CARS Rule ,
Consumer Financial Products ,
Cryptocurrency ,
False Advertising ,
Federal Trade Commission (FTC) ,
Fees ,
Financial Services Industry ,
FTC Act ,
Unfair or Deceptive Trade Practices
On February 29, 2024, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (“CFPB”) issued Consumer Financial Protection Circular 2024-01, Preferencing and steering practices by digital intermediaries for consumer financial products or...more
Our special guest is Richard (“Rick”) Hackett, former Assistant CFPB Director responsible for auto finance regulation and presently a member of the Board of F&I Sentinel, which supports lender compliance in the auto finance...more
Our special guest is Richard (“Rick”) Hackett, former Assistant CFPB Director responsible for auto finance regulation and presently a member of the Board of F&I Sentinel, which supports lender compliance in the auto finance...more
On January 22, 2024, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) entered into a Stipulated Order for Permanent Injunction, Monetary Judgment, and Other Relief (the “Order”) with FloatMe Corp. (“FloatMe”), a fintech that offers...more
2/9/2024
/ Automatic Renewals ,
Consumer Financial Products ,
ECOA ,
Fair Lending ,
Federal Trade Commission (FTC) ,
FinTech ,
FTC Act ,
Hidden Fees ,
Permanent Injunctions ,
Proposed Regulation ,
ROSCA ,
Stipulated Judgment ,
Unfair or Deceptive Trade Practices
On January 11, 2024, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) issued two new advisory opinions: Fair Credit Reporting; Background Screening and Fair Credit Reporting; File Disclosure. The advisory opinions are part of...more
1/17/2024
/ Background Screening Services ,
Consumer Financial Products ,
Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) ,
Consumer Lenders ,
Consumer Reporting Agencies ,
Credit Reports ,
Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) ,
Federal Trade Commission (FTC) ,
Financial Regulatory Reform ,
Financial Services Industry ,
Housing Market ,
Landlords ,
Rental Property ,
Tenants
On January 5, 2024, two trade groups representing auto dealers filed a petition for review challenging the Federal Trade Commission’s (“FTC”) new Combating Auto Retail Scams Rule (“CARS Rule”). In the petition, the National...more
The CFPB recently filed two amicus briefs, one in a First Circuit case involving the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA) and the other, which was filed jointly with the Federal Trade Commission, in a Fourth Circuit...more
1/5/2024
/ Amicus Briefs ,
Bankruptcy Code ,
Consumer Financial Products ,
Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) ,
Consumer Reporting Agencies ,
Debt ,
Debt Collectors ,
Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) ,
FDCPA ,
Federal Trade Commission (FTC) ,
Financial Institutions ,
Financial Regulatory Reform ,
Financial Services Industry
The FTC has extended by 30 days the deadline for submitting comments on its proposed “Rule on Unfair or Deceptive Fees” targeting what the FTC refers to as “junk fees.” The new comment deadline is February 7, 2024....more
On December 12, 2024, the Federal Trade Commission (“FTC”) announced its Combating Auto Retail Scams Rule, otherwise known as the “CARS Rule,” setting new requirements on the sale, financing, and leasing of vehicles by motor...more
12/21/2023
/ Add-ons ,
Automotive Industry ,
Automotive Loans ,
Car Dealerships ,
CARS Rule ,
Consent ,
Consumer Financial Contracts ,
Consumer Protection Act ,
Federal Trade Commission (FTC) ,
Financial Services Industry ,
Financing ,
FTC Act ,
Holder Rule ,
Motor Vehicles ,
New Rules ,
Offering Price ,
Regulatory Reform ,
Regulatory Requirements ,
Unfair or Deceptive Trade Practices
This two-part podcast repurposes our most recent webinar on the latest salvo of actions in the Biden Administration’s initiative directed at combatting so-called “junk fees.” Launched in January 2022, the initiative shows no...more
The CFPB has issued its annual Fair Debt Collection Practices Act report covering the CFPB’s debt collection activities in 2022. The report incorporates information from the FTC’s most recent annual letter to the CFPB...more
11/21/2023
/ Annual Reports ,
Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) ,
Credit Reporting Agencies ,
Debt Collection ,
Debt Collectors ,
Debtors ,
Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) ,
FDCPA ,
Federal Trade Commission (FTC) ,
Financial Services Industry ,
No Surprises Act (NSA) ,
Regulatory Reform ,
UDAAP
The Federal Trade Commission recently announced that it has entered into a settlement with Bridge It, Inc. (“Brigit”), the operator of a personal finance mobile application, to resolve the FTC’s allegations that Brigit...more
11/10/2023
/ Consumer Financial Products ,
Consumer Financial Protection Act (CFPA) ,
Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) ,
Consumer Reporting Agencies ,
Federal Trade Commission (FTC) ,
Financial Services Industry ,
FTC Act ,
Mobile Apps ,
ROSCA ,
Section 5 ,
Settlement ,
Unfair or Deceptive Trade Practices
On November 6, the CFPB filed a notice with the Texas federal district court that it is appealing to the Fifth Circuit the district court’s order granting summary judgment to a group of trade associations in their lawsuit...more
The Federal Trade Commission and Wisconsin Attorney General have entered into settlements with a group of auto dealerships, their current and former corporate owners, and their general manager for allegedly engaging in...more
11/1/2023
/ Add-ons ,
Attorney General ,
Automotive Industry ,
Car Dealerships ,
Consumer Financial Products ,
Discriminatory Lending Practices ,
Federal Trade Commission (FTC) ,
Financial Institutions ,
Financial Services Industry ,
FTC Act ,
Motor Vehicles ,
Settlement ,
Unfair or Deceptive Trade Practices
The New Jersey Attorney General (NJAG) and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) recently announced settlements in concurrent actions against Sollers College, a for-profit college, its parent company, Sollers, Inc., and, in the...more
10/30/2023
/ Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) ,
Federal Trade Commission (FTC) ,
Financial Institutions ,
Financial Services Industry ,
For Profit Colleges ,
FTC Act ,
Income Share Agreements ,
Job Offers ,
Misrepresentation ,
Settlement ,
Students
The CFPB and FTC announced last week that they had entered into a settlement with Trans Union LLC (TU LLC) to resolve a lawsuit filed jointly in a Colorado federal district court by the agencies alleging that TU LLC and its...more
10/18/2023
/ Consumer Financial Products ,
Consumer Financial Protection Act (CFPA) ,
Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) ,
Credit Reports ,
Enforcement Actions ,
Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) ,
Federal Trade Commission (FTC) ,
Financial Institutions ,
Financial Regulatory Reform ,
Financial Services Industry ,
FTC Act ,
Screening Procedures ,
Settlement ,
Statutory Violations ,
TransUnion
As part of the White House’s latest round of efforts targeting so-called “junk fees,” the Federal Trade Commission has issued a proposed rule, “Rule on Unfair or Deceptive Fees.” The proposal follows the FTC’s issuance in...more
10/12/2023
/ Advanced Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (ANPRM) ,
Consumer Financial Products ,
Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) ,
Federal Trade Commission (FTC) ,
Financial Services Industry ,
FTC Act ,
Goods or Services ,
Hidden Fees ,
Proposed Rules ,
Regulatory Agenda ,
Section 5 ,
Unfair or Deceptive Trade Practices
The Federal Trade Commission (“FTC”) and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (“CFPB”) have filed a joint amicus brief in which they urge the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit to reverse the decision of a New...more
10/10/2023
/ Amicus Briefs ,
Consumer Financial Products ,
Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) ,
Consumer Reporting Agencies ,
Consumer Reports ,
Credit Reporting Agencies ,
Credit Reports ,
Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) ,
Federal Trade Commission (FTC) ,
Financial Institutions ,
Financial Services Industry ,
Fraud ,
Identity Theft
The CFPB announced this week that it has entered into a proposed settlement of a lawsuit it filed in 2019 in Utah federal district court against a group of defendants who constitute the largest credit repair organizations in...more
9/1/2023
/ Consumer Financial Products ,
Consumer Financial Protection Act (CFPA) ,
Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) ,
Consumer Lenders ,
Credit Repair Services ,
Federal Trade Commission (FTC) ,
Financial Institutions ,
Financial Services Industry ,
FTC Act ,
Section 5 ,
Settlement ,
Statutory Violations ,
Telemarketing ,
Telemarketing Sales Rule
Townstone Mortgage (Townstone) has filed its brief in the CFPB’s appeal to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit from the district court’s decision in the CFPB’s enforcement action against Townstone. In the...more
8/23/2023
/ American Bar Association (ABA) ,
Chevron Deference ,
Consumer Financial Products ,
Consumer Financial Protection Act (CFPA) ,
Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) ,
ECOA ,
Federal Trade Commission (FTC) ,
Financial Services Industry ,
Mortgage Lenders ,
Mortgages ,
Popular ,
Regulation B
A new FTC blog post titled “Tenant background check reports: Put it in writing” reminds landlords, property managers, and other housing providers of their obligation under the Fair Credit Reporting Act to provide notice of...more
8/1/2023
/ Adverse Action ,
Background Checks ,
Consumer Financial Products ,
Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) ,
Consumer Reports ,
Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) ,
Federal Trade Commission (FTC) ,
Financial Services Industry ,
Housing Market ,
Landlords ,
Notice Requirements ,
Rental Applications ,
Rental Property ,
Screening Procedures ,
Tenants
The Biden Administration has launched an initiative directed at combatting so-called “junk fees,” with the CFPB and FTC leading the Administration’s efforts. In Part II of this two-part episode, we first look at CFPB...more
The Biden Administration has launched an initiative directed at combatting so-called “junk fees,” with the CFPB and FTC leading the Administration’s efforts. In Part I of this two-part episode, we first discuss the various...more
The FTC has filed an amicus brief in support of the CFPB’s appeal to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit from the district court’s decision in the CFPB’s enforcement action against Townstone Mortgage...more