The United States is navigating a new era of regulatory oversight and the balance of power between federal and state regulators following the 2024 election cycle. As federal agencies retreat from and/or realign their...more
7/28/2025
/ Advertising ,
Antitrust Violations ,
Artificial Intelligence ,
Consumer Financial Products ,
Corporate Counsel ,
Data Privacy ,
Enforcement Actions ,
Federal Trade Commission (FTC) ,
Financial Services Industry ,
Gaming ,
Life Sciences ,
Machine Learning ,
Marketing ,
Merger Controls ,
Most-Favored Nations ,
New Legislation ,
Regulatory Reform ,
State Attorneys General
On June 25, the California Department of Financial Protection and Innovation (DFPI) entered a consent order with Coinme, Inc., a cryptocurrency “ATM” operator, for noncompliance with the California’s Consumer Financial...more
7/22/2025
/ ATMs ,
California ,
Consent Order ,
Cryptocurrency ,
Department of Financial Protection and Innovation (DFPI) ,
Digital Assets ,
Disclosure Requirements ,
Enforcement Actions ,
Financial Services Industry ,
Regulatory Requirements ,
Regulatory Violations
New York City Comptroller Brad Lander released a report titled “Standing Up for New York Consumers – How New York State and New York City can Strengthen Consumer Financial Protection in the Trump Era,” which called for the...more
7/7/2025
/ Banking Sector ,
Comptroller ,
Consumer Financial Products ,
Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) ,
Consumer Protection Laws ,
Financial Regulatory Reform ,
Financial Services Industry ,
New York ,
Non-Bank Lenders ,
Proposed Legislation ,
Regulatory Reform ,
State and Local Government ,
Trump Administration
Indiana and Maryland became the most recent states to enact legislation regulating earned wage access (EWA) services, with Indiana passing House Enrolled Act 1125 on May 6, and Maryland passing House Bill 1294 on May 20....more
In this crossover episode of The Consumer Finance Podcast and Regulatory Oversight, Chris Willis, Kim Phan, and Stephen Piepgrass provide insights on a new joint privacy task force among several state AGs, known as the...more
In this crossover episode of The Consumer Finance Podcast and Regulatory Oversight, Chris Willis, Kim Phan, and Stephen Piepgrass provide insights on a new joint privacy task force among several state AGs, known as the...more
On March 7, Arizona Attorney General (AG) Kristin Mayes filed a novel lawsuit alleging consumer fraud and racketeering against numerous entities, individuals, and even law firms and title companies involved in the residential...more
3/27/2025
/ Consumer Bankruptcy ,
Consumer Fraud ,
Enforcement Actions ,
Financial Services Industry ,
Foreclosure ,
Fraud ,
Homeowners ,
Mortgages ,
Professional Misconduct ,
Purchase Agreement ,
Racketeering ,
Residential Real Estate Contracts ,
State Attorneys General ,
Title Companies ,
Underwater Homeowners ,
Unfair or Deceptive Trade Practices
On March 11, New Jersey Attorney General (AG) Matthew Platkin and the New Jersey Division on Civil Rights (DCR) announced that DCR issued a finding of probable cause against Advance Funding Partners/Same Day Funding (Advance...more
3/17/2025
/ Consumer Financial Products ,
Consumer Lenders ,
Discriminatory Lending Practices ,
Employment Discrimination ,
Enforcement Actions ,
Equal Protection ,
Fair Lending ,
Financial Institutions ,
Financial Services Industry ,
Hostile Environment ,
Loan Applications ,
New Jersey ,
Probable Cause ,
Race Discrimination ,
Regulatory Violations ,
Retaliation ,
State Attorneys General ,
Whistleblowers
In this special joint edition of the Consumer Finance Podcast and the Regulatory Oversight Podcast, host Chris Willis is joined by colleagues Stephen Piepgrass, James Kim, Jesse Silverman, and Lane Page to discuss the ongoing...more
In this special joint edition of the Consumer Finance Podcast and the Regulatory Oversight Podcast, host Chris Willis is joined by colleagues Stephen Piepgrass, James Kim, Jesse Silverman, and Lane Page to discuss the ongoing...more
Given the future uncertainty of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s (CFPB) efforts to regulate bank overdraft fees, New York’s Department of Financial Services (DFS) has stepped in to fill a perceived gap. The DFS...more
2/7/2025
/ Banks ,
Consumer Financial Products ,
Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) ,
Financial Institutions ,
Financial Services Industry ,
New York ,
NYDFS ,
Overdraft Fees ,
Proposed Rules ,
Regulatory Agenda ,
Unfair or Deceptive Trade Practices
A federal district judge in Massachusetts entered a nearly $51 million judgment against Commonwealth Equity Group LLC (d/b/a Key Credit Repair) and its CEO after granting summary judgment in favor of the Consumer Financial...more
10/29/2024
/ Consumer Financial Products ,
Consumer Financial Protection Act (CFPA) ,
Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) ,
Credit Repair Services ,
Enforcement Actions ,
Financial Institutions ,
Financial Services Industry ,
Hidden Fees ,
Telemarketing ,
Telemarketing Sales Rule ,
Unfair or Deceptive Trade Practices
On September 20, 13 states and Washington, D.C. joined Colorado in its appeal asking the Tenth Circuit to uphold a state law imposing more restrictive interest rate caps on loans from out-of-state banks to residents, arguing...more
10/3/2024
/ Banks ,
Consumer Financial Products ,
DIDMCA ,
Financial Regulatory Reform ,
Financial Services Industry ,
Interest Rates ,
Loans ,
Opt-Outs ,
Out-of-State Companies ,
Regulatory Authority ,
Regulatory Oversight ,
State Attorneys General ,
Usury
On July 29, the attorney general (AG) for Washington, D.C. sued StubHub, Inc. (StubHub) for violations of the district’s Consumer Protection Procedures Act. The complaint accuses StubHub of employing “dark patterns,”...more
In an unusual move, attorneys general (AG) from 30 states and the District of Columbia filed a bipartisan amicus brief in the Ninth Circuit supporting efforts to revive a proposed class action against payment processor...more
7/25/2024
/ Amicus Briefs ,
Class Action ,
Data Collection ,
Data Privacy ,
Data Protection ,
Financial Services Industry ,
Internet Retailers ,
Payment Processors ,
Personal Jurisdiction ,
Personally Identifiable Information ,
Shopify ,
State Attorneys General ,
Unfair Competition Law (UCL)
In 2024, the landscape of state attorneys general (AGs) is poised for significant change, with numerous elections and regulatory actions reshaping priorities and enforcement strategies. This dynamic environment reflects the...more
7/23/2024
/ Advertising ,
Algorithms ,
Artificial Intelligence ,
California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) ,
Data Privacy ,
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) ,
Energy Policy ,
Environmental Policies ,
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ,
Federal Trade Commission (FTC) ,
Financial Services Industry ,
Healthcare ,
Machine Learning ,
Marketing ,
Personal Data ,
Pharmaceutical Industry ,
Proposed Rules ,
Regulatory Agenda ,
Regulatory Authority ,
Social Media ,
State Attorneys General ,
State Privacy Laws
On June 6, New York Attorney General (AG) Letitia James filed suit against NovaTech Advisors, LLC, AWS Mining Pty Ltd., and several other entities, alleging the defendants orchestrated two consecutive, fraudulent...more
California Attorney General (AG) Rob Bonta, along with a coalition of AGs, has submitted a letter to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) regarding a proposed final rule. This rule aims to establish a registry of...more
A new Connecticut law expands the authority of the state’s attorney general to enforce certain provisions of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (the Act)....more
The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) recently announced an Airline Passenger Protection Partnership with state attorneys general (AGs), marking a significant expansion of AGs’ regulatory reach. This partnership, formed...more
4/29/2024
/ Airlines ,
Consumer Complaint Management ,
Consumer Complaint System ,
Department of Transportation (DOT) ,
Final Rules ,
Financial Services Industry ,
Memorandum of Understanding ,
Preemption ,
Regulatory Authority ,
State and Local Government ,
State Attorneys General
New York Attorney General (AG) Letitia James filed a lawsuit on March 5 against Yellowstone Capital, its founder David Glass, and a network of 30 other affiliated companies and individuals. James alleges that Yellowstone...more
3/15/2024
/ Consumer Financial Products ,
Enforcement Actions ,
Federal Trade Commission (FTC) ,
Financial Fraud ,
Financial Services Industry ,
Loans ,
Merchant Cash Advance (MCA) ,
New York ,
Predatory Lending ,
Restitution ,
Settlement ,
Small Business Loans ,
State and Local Government ,
State Attorneys General ,
Unfair or Deceptive Trade Practices
On February 8, New York attorney general (AG) Letisha James announced a $77 million judgment with three merchant cash advance (MCA) companies, Richmond Capital Group, Ram Capital Funding, and Viceroy Capital Funding, and...more
On January 11, Massachusetts Attorney General (AG) Andrea Joy Campbell announced a $1.8 million settlement with Nelnet, Inc. (Nelnet), one of the largest federal student loan servicers in the U.S., for allegedly sending...more
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