On August 25, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) directed federal agencies involved in originating consumer and small business loans — including the Small Business Administration, Department of Veterans Affairs, Department of Agriculture, and the Federal Housing Finance Agency — to reduce the impact of medical debt when making underwriting decisions. This instruction aligns
What standard should courts use to determine whether information contained in a consumer’s credit report is inaccurate or misleading? According to the Third Circuit in a recent precedential decision, the standard should be that of the “reasonable reader,” not a “reasonable creditor,” i.e., not an individual or entity sophisticated in the art of reading
On March 1, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) released a report highlighting the effect of medical collections on consumer credit reports. The CFPB found that medical collections tradelines appeared on 43 million credit reports, and past-due medical debt is more prevalent among Black and Hispanic individuals. That same month, the three nationwide consumer reporting
On February 28, the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York dismissed a case brought against the Consumer Data Industry Association (CDIA) under federal antitrust law. The case alleged that the CDIA — a trade association of which the three competitor national credit bureaus are members — asserted “monopolistic” control over the
On February 25, the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania held that a purported public records vendor (Credit Lenders Service Agency or CLSA) is a consumer reporting agency (CRA) under the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA). A copy of the decision in McGrath v. Credit Lenders Service Agency, Inc. can be found
On June 28, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) issued an interpretive rule, encouraging states to enact more laws regulating consumer reporting, arguing that states’ powers are only constrained in limited ways by the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA).
The CFPB believes that states have the ability to enact state-level laws that are stricter
In a blog post released June 15, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) continued to show its interest in credit reporting by Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL) lenders. Recognizing the importance of credit reporting to consumers building credit profiles through payment of BNPL obligations, the CFPB encouraged BNPL lenders to report both positive and negative
On May 26, California Supreme Court ruled that the Federal Trade Commission’s (FTC) “Holder Rule” does not limit the award of attorneys’ fees where a consumer seeks fees from a holder under a state prevailing party statute.
The Holder Rule and Previous California Precedent
The FTC’s Holder Rule permits consumers to bring any legal claims
On May 26, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB or Bureau) announced that federal anti-discrimination law requires companies to explain to applicants the specific reasons for denying an application for credit or taking other adverse actions, even if the creditor is relying on credit models using complex algorithms.
In a corresponding Consumer Financial Protection Circular
On May 5, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB or Bureau) and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) together filed an amicus brief in an appeal pending before the Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, Sessa v. Trans Union, LLC, No. 22-87 (2d Cir. 2022). The agencies argue that the Fair Credit Reporting Act
