Federal Trade Commissioner Julie Brill promoted the FTC’s role as the nation’s leading consumer protection and privacy agency with respect to Internet, social media, and smartphone technology in two recent speeches occurring over a three–day span. In both speeches, Brill referenced and reiterated the FTC’s concerns regarding data collection, the interface of
House Financial Services Committee to Vote This Week on Bills to Reform the CFPB
The House Financial Services Committee is expected to vote Wednesday on bills to replace the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s sole director with a bipartisan, five-member commission (H.R. 1266) and require Senate confirmation for the CFPB’s inspector general (H.R. 957).
As we discussed here, The Financial Product Safety Commission Act (H.R. 1266), introduced on March
CFPB Director Cordray to Present Latest Semi-Annual Report to Congress on September 29
At 10:00 a.m. EDT on September 29, Richard Cordray, Director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, will testify at a House Financial Services Committee hearing to present the CFPB’s latest semi-annual report.
Cordray last appeared before this House committee in March 2015. During that hearing, U.S. Rep. Randy Neugebauer announced the introduction of a bill
CFPB to Hold Field Hearing on Arbitration in Denver on October 7, 2015
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau has announced that it will be holding a field hearing on arbitration in Denver, Colorado on Wednesday, October 7 at 11:00 a.m. MDT.
The CFPB’s March 10, 2015 Consumer Arbitration Study has come under scrutiny from the financial services industry. Many believe the CFPB has already concluded that there are
CFPB Appoints New Members to the Consumer Advisory Board, Community Bank Advisory Council, and Credit Union Advisory Council
On September 18, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau announced the appointment of new members to the Consumer Advisory Board, Community Bank Advisory Council, and Credit Union Advisory Council.
“These advisory bodies play a crucial role in ensuring that the Bureau is addressing the wide variety of perspectives in the consumer financial marketplace,” said CFPB Director
FTC Urges Start-Ups to Incorporate Cybersecurity Early
The Federal Trade Commission is proactively encouraging start-ups to take cybersecurity seriously and include consumer data safeguards early in the innovation process. At the FTC’s Start with Security conference in San Francisco on September 9, FTC Chairwoman Edith Ramirez called on innovators to instill a “culture of security” early in the product development lifecycle.
In
FTC Changes Location and Re-Opens Registration for its Second Debt Collection Dialogue in Dallas
The FTC announced it has changed the location and has re-opened registration for its second “Debt Collection Dialogue” in Dallas. The September 29 event is now going to take place at Southern Methodist University’s Dedman School of Law. Pre-registration, which originally closed on August 13, was re-opened for this larger event.
More information
Trade Groups’ Comment Letters Urge CFPB to Fix Complaint Database Before Trying to Normalize Data
In response to the CFPB’s request for information (RFI) regarding “best practices” for normalizing the data in the Consumer Complaint Database, issued on June 30, 2015, the American Bankers Association (ABA) submitted a comment letter that argues any efforts made by the CFPB to “normalize” data in its consumer complaints database – that is,
Second Circuit: New York City’s Department of Consumer Affairs has Authority to Regulate Law Firms Acting as Debt Collection Agencies
The Second Circuit Court of Appeals recently ruled that New York City’s Department of Consumer Affairs has the authority to regulate law firms’ conduct related to purchasing and collecting consumer debt.
In Eric M. Berman, P.C., et al. v. City of New York, et al., the Second Circuit vacated a 2009 district court ruling
Upsurge in Car Lending Sends Total Auto Debt Above $1 Trillion for First Time
The Federal Reserve Bank of New York released its Household Debt and Credit Report this month. The report, which uses anonymous credit data to generate a nationally representative sample, found that consumers’ overall indebtedness increased $2 billion to $11.9 trillion in the second quarter of 2015.
This number was aided by the increased number of