The Evolving Landscape of Earned Wage Access Regulation — The Consumer Finance Podcast
Consumer Finance Monitor Podcast Episode: How the CFPB Is Using Interpretive Rules to Expand Regulatory Requirements for Innovative Consumer Financial Products; Part Two: Earned Wage Access
Consumer Finance Monitor Episode: How the CFPB Is Using Interpretive Rules to Expand Regulatory Requirements for Innovative Consumer Financial Products; Part One: Buy-Now, Pay-Later
Earned Wage Access: Exploring the CFPB's Proposed Interpretive Rule — Payments Pros – The Payments Law Podcast
Earned Wage Access: Exploring the CFPB's Proposed Interpretive Rule — The Consumer Finance Podcast
Earned Wage Access (EWA) lets employees access wages they've already earned, but haven't yet been paid, typically through an app or digital service. For workers, this can mean avoiding payday loans or overdraft fees....more
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
A new Maryland law deems certain earned wage access (EWA) services to be loans. It then subjects those EWA services to the Maryland Consumer Loan Law and other consumer credit provisions, restricts the acceptance of tips by...more
On May 27, 2025, Maryland enacted first-of-its-kind earned wage access (EWA) legislation to ensure Maryland workers are able to retain continued access to this valuable employee benefit. This landmark legislation follows...more
$23 billion. That’s how much Americans paid in late fees last year. When a payment is only a few days behind, late fees for credit cards, utilities, student loans, and rent pile up. And they have proliferated over the last...more
On April 7, DailyPay, LLC, an employer-integrated earned wage access (EWA) provider, filed a lawsuit against New York Attorney General Letitia James, seeking declaratory relief to prevent the enforcement of state and federal...more
On March 20, the Arkansas governor signed into law Arkansas Act 347, known as the Earned Wage Access Services Act. Sponsored by Representative David Ray (R) and Senator Ben Gilmore (R), this legislation aims to regulate...more
The Utah Legislature has passed H.B. 279, known as the Earned Wage Access Services Act. Sponsored by Representative A. Cory Maloy (R) and Senator Chris H. Wilson (R), this legislation aims to regulate earned wage access (EWA)...more
This week, New York became the latest state to introduce legislation aimed at regulating Earned Wage Access (EWA) services. Assembly Bill 258 titled — “An Act to Amend the Banking Law, in Relation to Providing for Income...more
On November 21, 2024, legislation will take effect in South Carolina, making that state the latest jurisdiction to regulate earned wage access (EWA) programs....more
Paycheck advance products that are deemed consumer loans under the CFPB’s new proposal would be subject to increased disclosure and regulatory protections....more
Since 2022, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) has a stated priority of “protecting employees and their rights through conducting reports, inquiries, and issuing requirements for employers.” In July 2024, the...more
On July 18, 2024, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) issued an interpretive rule (Proposed Rule) applying the Truth in Lending Act (TILA) and Regulation Z (collectively referred to hereafter as Regulation Z) to...more
On July 18, the CFPB proposed a new interpretive rule that would characterize earned wage access (“EWA”) products as extensions of credit and subject to the Truth in Lending Act and Regulation Z. Under the interpretive...more
Last week, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB or Bureau) issued a proposed interpretive rule opining that earned wage access (EWA) products — whether provided through employer partnerships or marketed directly to...more
On May 21, 2024, South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster signed into law the Earned Wage Access Services Act (the “Act”), which will require earned wage access (“EWA”) providers to register annually with the state’s Department...more
South Carolina has become the fifth state (and the third in 2024) to enact a law that establishes a financial services oversight regime for earned wage access services, also known as on-demand pay services, which allow...more
Governor Laura Kelly's recent signing of Kansas House Bill 2560 into law shows increasing bipartisan support for licensing the earned wage access (EWA) industry and safeguarding workers’ access to the service. The new law...more
On March 21, Wisconsin Democrat Governor Tony Evers signed into law the country’s third earned wage access (EWA) bill, which recognizes EWA as a new and innovative financial service by creating a distinct license and...more
Following Nevada and Missouri in 2023, Wisconsin has become the third state (and the first in 2024) to enact a law that establishes a financial services oversight regime for earned wage access services, also known as...more
Currently, more than 60% of Americans are living paycheck-to-paycheck. And for the average American household, emergency expenses don’t always align perfectly with the typical biweekly payday. This financial strain leads...more
The American Fintech Council (AFC), a trade group whose members include providers of earned wage access (EWA) products, has sent a letter to Director Chopra urging the CFPB to take steps towards development of a “pragmatic...more
Recently, Arizona, Kentucky, and Hawaii have jumped on the bandwagon to regulate earned wage access (EWA) products and services. Arizona’s proposed bill makes clear that EWA services are not considered to be loans or money...more
On December 22, 2023, the Attorney General of Montana released an opinion (the “Opinion”) concluding that certain earned wage access (EWA) products are not “consumer loans” or “deferred deposit loans” under Montana law and do...more
On December 22, Montana Attorney General Austin Knudsen issued an opinion on whether Earned Wage Access (EWA) products constitute either “consumer loans” under Montana Code § 32-5-102(2)(a) or “deferred deposit loans” under §...more