As discussed here, during the summer of 2023, Representative Roger Williams (R-Texas) and Senator John Kennedy (R-La.) introduced identical Congressional Review Act (CRA) resolutions in the U.S. House and Senate (H.J. Res. 66 and S. J. Res. 32, respectively) disapproving the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s (CFPB or Bureau) implementation of the small business data collection and reporting final rule under § 1071 of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (Final Rule). Under the CRA, a rule promulgated by an administrative agency “shall not take effect (or continue), if the Congress enacts a joint resolution of disapproval.” On October 18, by a bipartisan vote of 53-44, the Senate approved its resolution. On November 29, the House likewise passed a resolution of disapproval by a vote of 221-202.

On January 9, the California Department of Financial Protection and Innovation (CA DFPI) announced a consent order with Credova Financial, LLC, (Credova) to resolve allegations that, in violation of the California Consumer Financial Protection Law, the company failed to disclose potential third-party fees to consumers. Pursuant to the settlement, Credova is required to pay a $50,000 penalty and disclose potential third-party convenience fees to consumers in the future.

A magistrate judge in the Northern District of Georgia recently recommended granting summary judgment in a Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) case in favor of a background reporting company on the grounds that a report given only to the consumer is not a consumer report and including a valid conviction on a report does not violate the FCRA as long as its expungement is also included.

Please join Troutman Pepper Partners Chris Willis and Sheri Adler as they discuss recent developments in equity award delegations for public companies incorporated in Delaware. Sheri, a member of our Employee Benefits and Executive Compensation practice, provides our listeners with a 30,000-foot view of what equity incentive plans typically look like at a public company, such as a publicly traded bank or another financial institution. She then dives deeper into the topic of equity grant-making authority, addressing questions such as:

In this episode of Payments Pros, Keith Barnett and Carlin McCrory discuss the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s (CFPB) fall supervisory highlights, focusing on “junk fees.” The report covers examinations in areas of deposits, auto servicing, and remittances completed between February and August 2023. The recent report reveals that their efforts have resulted in institutions refunding more than $140 million to consumers. The report primarily focuses on deposits as an area of supervisory observations.

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and Connecticut Attorney General William Tong filed suit against auto dealer Manchester City Nissan (Manchester City), its owner, and several employees for allegedly deceiving consumers about the price of certified used cars, add-ons, and government fees. Filed January 4, the lawsuit was brought under the FTC Act and the Connecticut Unfair Trade Practices Act.

On January 2, New York Governor Kathy Hochul unveiled her 2024 consumer protection agenda, which includes plans to regulate the “buy now, pay later” (BNPL) industry. Specifically, Governor Hochul plans to propose legislation to require BNPL providers to be licensed in the state and to authorize the New York State Department of Financial Services to propose and issue regulations for the industry. According to Governor Hochul, “New Yorkers are increasingly turning to [BNPL] loans as a low-cost alternative to traditional credit products to pay for everyday and big-ticket purchases. This legislation and regulations will establish strong industry protections around disclosure requirements, dispute resolution and credit reporting standards, late fee limits, consumer data privacy, and guidelines to curtail dark patterns and debt accumulation and overextension.”

In this special solo episode of The Consumer Finance Podcast, Chris Willis provides an important update on the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s (CFPB) new small business lending data collection and reporting final rule — the Section 1071 Final Rule. In October, a Texas federal court entered a nationwide injunction covering all small business lenders, essentially saying that both the implementation and enforcement of the 1071 rule would be stayed pending the outcome of the Supreme Court’s decision in the Community Financial Services Association case. Chris addresses the timing of the injunction, its impact on small business lenders, including the “free look” period for lender to voluntarily collect 1071 data, and what small business lenders can do to prepare for the potential lifting of the injunction after the Supreme Court’s decision.