In this special crossover episode with Regulatory Oversight podcast, Ashley Taylor is joined by Kim Phan and Kristen Eastman to discuss the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s (CFPB) proposed Rule 1033, also known as the Personal Financial Digital Rights rule. This rule, part of the Dodd-Frank Act, aims to restrict the sale or misuse of consumer data. It focuses on entities subject to the Truth in Lending Act (TILA) and Regulation Z, such as depository institutions, credit card companies, and payment processors. The rule requires these entities to make financial records available both to consumers and their authorized third parties.

On December 12, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) published the long-awaited regulation specific to motor vehicle dealers to address concerns of consumer deception in the sales process (Final Rule). We covered the proposed rule, introduced in June 2022, in a blog post here and podcast here. In a 3-0 vote, the FTC approved the issuance of the Final Rule, which will be published in the Federal Register in the coming weeks.

In this special joint episode of Payments Pros and The Consumer Finance Podcast, Carlin McCrory, Keith Barnett, James Kim, and Chris Willis discuss the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s (CFPB) proposed larger participant rule for consumer payments providers.

On December 4, a federal district court for the Central District of California granted summary judgment in favor of the Commissioner of the California Department of Financial Protection and Innovation (DFPI) finding that regulations adopted last year under California’s Commercial Financing Disclosures Law (CFDL) do not violate the plaintiff’s First Amendment rights and are not preempted by the Truth in Lending Act (TILA). Under the CFDL, providers are required to give certain disclosures similar to consumer transactions, such as the amount of funding the small business will receive, the APR, a payment amount (if applicable), the term, details related to prepayment policies, and (for products without a monthly payment) an average monthly cost.

Yesterday, the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) issued guidance to banks on managing the risks associated with “buy now, pay later” (BNPL) lending. Specifically, the bulletin addresses BNPL loans that are payable in four or fewer installments and carry no finance charges. The stated aim of the OCC’s guidance is to ensure that these loans are offered in a manner that is safe, sound, and compliant with applicable laws and regulations.

Please join us for a special cross-over episode of FCRA Focus and The Consumer Finance Podcast, where Troutman Pepper Partners Chris Willis, Dave Gettings, Kim Phan, and Ron Raether look at the latest developments in the CFPB’s FCRA rulemaking process. Topics include:

In March 2023, the California Department of Financial Protection and Innovation (DFPI) proposed new regulations under the California Financing Law that would update the definition of loan to include what it dubs as “income-based advances” also known as earned wage access (EWA) products, except for those offered by employers. After considering written comments to the proposed regulations, on November 6, the DFPI issued modifications to the proposed regulations and announced comments on the modifications would be accepted until November 27. Under the modifications, direct-to-consumer (i.e., non-employer offered) EWA products would still be defined as loans.

On November 20, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) instituted a civil enforcement action against Kraken, a major U.S. cryptocurrency exchange. The SEC alleged Kraken operated as an unregistered broker, dealer, exchange, and clearing agency, in violation of the Securities Exchange Act. The SEC’s lawsuit aims to prohibit Kraken from continuing these activities and seeks an unspecific amount of civil monetary penalties.