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Mark Furletti

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Mark helps clients navigate regulatory risks posed by state and federal laws aimed at protecting consumers and small business, particularly in connection with credit, deposit, and payments products. He is a trusted advisor, providing practical legal counsel and advice to providers of financial services across numerous industries.

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Last month, the Texas legislature introduced two companion bills, S.B. No. 2677 and H.B. No. 700, to regulate sales-based commercial financing. For purposes of the proposed legislation, sales-based financing is a transaction that is repaid as a percentage of sales or revenue, or according to a fixed payment mechanism that provides for a reconciliation process to adjust payments to an amount that is a percentage of sales or revenue. These bills propose significant changes to the regulatory landscape for sales-based financing transactions, including the imposition of a usury cap on such transactions and disclosure requirements that only extend to financing of over $500,000. The bills are currently pending before committees.

On February 4, Senators Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) introduced bipartisan legislation aimed at immediately capping credit card interest rates at 10% for a period of five years. This initiative follows a recent Forbes report indicating that the average credit card interest rate stands at 28.6%.

Join host Kim Phan and special guests David Anthony, Stefanie Jackman, and Mark Furletti as they delve into the significant Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) developments of 2024 and provide insights on what to expect in 2025. This episode covers a range of topics, including the impact of the outgoing Biden Administration and the incoming Trump Administration on FCRA regulations, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s recent rulemaking activities, and the ongoing legal challenges. Tune in to understand the evolving landscape of consumer reporting laws and regulation and how it may affect your business. Don’t miss this comprehensive review and analysis from Troutman Pepper Locke’s seasoned legal professionals.

On January 10, the Alaska Legislature introduced Senate Bill 39 that aims to amend the state’s Small Loan Act. This proposed legislation seeks to implement significant changes, including the introduction of a predominant economic interest test, the repeal of Alaska’s payday loan law, and amending the maximum interest rate that can be charged on loans up to $25,000.

On January 22, New York Attorney General Letitia James announced a significant settlement with Yellowstone Capital of New Jersey and its affiliated companies over allegations of illegal high-interest loans disguised as merchant cash advance (MCA) transactions.

On January 15, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB or Bureau) issued a Compliance Aid to clarify the requirements under the Electronic Fund Transfer Act (EFTA) and Regulation E. Electronic Fund Transfers (EFTs) are defined as “any transfer of funds that is initiated through an electronic terminal, telephone, computer, or magnetic tape for the purpose of ordering, instructing, or authorizing a financial institution to debit or credit a consumer’s account.” The Compliance Aid, presented in a Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) format, addresses various aspects of EFTs, including coverage, financial institutions’ obligations, and error resolution processes.

As part of a flurry of last minute regulatory activity by the Biden administration’s Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB or Bureau), on January 15, the CFPB published an advisory opinion in the Federal Register rescinding a previous advisory opinion which the Bureau issued during the first Trump administration in November 2020. The 2020 advisory opinion had described how a specific type of “earned wage” product did not constitute the offering or extension of “credit” under the Truth in Lending Act (TILA) and Regulation Z. The new advisory opinion is effective immediately.

Last week, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB or Bureau) released its latest Supervisory Highlights report, focusing on the use of advanced technologies in credit scoring models. This edition of Supervisory Highlights concerns select examinations of institutions that use credit scoring models, including models built with advanced technology commonly marketed as AI/ML technology, when making credit decisions. The report repeated the CFPB’s previous statements that there is “no ‘advanced technology’ exception” to federal consumer protection laws (which, to our knowledge, no industry participant has suggested to exist) and asserted that financial institutions will need to improve their practices to ensure compliance with the Equal Credit Opportunity Act (ECOA) and Regulation B. This includes actively searching for less discriminatory alternatives, critically evaluating the use of alternative data, and rigorously testing and validating adverse action reasons.

This article was republished on insideARM on January 23, 2025, in their newsletter on January 27, 2025, and was mentioned in this insideARM article on February 3, 2025.

As the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB or Bureau) anticipates a shift in its leadership with the incoming administration of President Trump, the Bureau has released a report titled “Strengthening State-Level Consumer Protections.” This report appears to be a strategic move by the CFPB to influence state-level consumer protection laws before the anticipated shift in federal regulatory policy, and the Bureau’s recommendations appear to be items that would need to be the subject of legislation, if they are to occur. As detailed below, the changes advocated by the CFPB would strengthen the position of both state regulators and private plaintiffs in actions against industry participants.

On January 13, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB or Bureau) released a report providing its analysis of the growth and impact of Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL) loans in the United States since 2019. BNPL loans, typically zero-interest loans repaid in four or fewer installments, have not been widely reported to nationwide consumer reporting companies, creating a lack of data, according to the CFPB. (Most consumer reporting agencies do not offer a readily available mechanism to report BNPL loans.) The stated purpose of the CFPB’s study was to bridge that gap by using a matched sample of BNPL applications and originations from six major BNPL firms along with corresponding de-identified credit records.