March 2020

While the nation faces unprecedented furloughs, layoffs, and economic difficulties, scammers continue to find novel ways to profit. In an attempt to dispel misinformation and provide guidance, the Federal Trade Commission is taking action to halt snake oil products and educate consumers on these ever-evolving scams.

Mimicking techniques routinely used by lenders to lawfully communicate

On March 30, the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (“the Department”) issued a statement, accessible here, providing guidance to licensed debt collectors and debt buyers relaxing statutory guidelines mandating that collection actions only take place at their registered addresses. As many non-essential businesses throughout the state transition into having employees work from

One day after Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam imposed a state-wide stay-at-home order, the Supreme Court of Virginia extended the ongoing judicial emergency by 20 days, to run through April 26, 2020.

On March 16, the Chief Justice declared a judicial emergency, effective through April 5, “to protect the health and safety of court employees,

The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (“CARES Act”), a $2 trillion stimulus bill enacted in response to the ongoing coronavirus (“COVID-19”) pandemic, contains numerous provisions impacting federal student loans for the next six months. Considering how the amount of outstanding student loan debt is in excess of $1.5 billion, and much of that

In response to the global coronavirus (“COVID-19”) pandemic, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau announced that it has postponed certain data collections from the financial services industry related to CFPB rules. This extension of flexibility to the financial services industry is intended to facilitate companies focusing their resources on consumers during this time.

CFPB Director Kathleen

New Jersey Gov. Phillip Murphy announced on March 28 that homeowners whose finances have been affected by the coronavirus (“COVID-19”) would get a 90-day reprieve on their mortgage payments.

According to the announcement, lenders must waive late fees and other expenses that a borrower would incur due to the grace period.

Last Friday, the North Carolina Department of Insurance issued an order and bulletin enacting emergency provisions that require debt collectors – including debt buyers – to provide North Carolinians with the option of deferring payments that are due during North Carolina’s major disaster proclamation. The Department provided an amended order on Monday, March 30.

We are pleased to announce that Troutman Sanders attorney, David Anthony, will present during the RMAi’s webinar, “Updating Your Policies in COVID-19” on April 1, 2020 at 9:00 a.m. PT. This hard hitting webinar will cover effective application of your existing dispute, settlement, and other operational policies during this pandemic.

For additional information and

Like most industries today, consumer finance services businesses are being significantly impacted by the novel coronavirus (“COVID-19”). Troutman Sanders and Pepper Hamilton have developed a dedicated COVID-19 Resource Center to guide clients through this unprecedented global health challenge. We regularly update this site with COVID-19-related news and developments, recommendations from leading health organizations, and tools

We are pleased to announce that Troutman Sanders attorney, David Anthony, will be presenting during the CDIA Law & Industry Conference in Washington, DC on June 17, 2020. David will be a presenting on the panel, “The Changing Dynamics of Litigation & Enforcement.”

This panel will explore leading FCRA developments, including key litigation and