Author Stephen R. Covey has written, “Management is efficiency in climbing the ladder of success; leadership determines whether the ladder is leaning against the right wall.”[1] With the first quarter in full swing, community banks are preparing proxy statements, finalizing annual meeting agendas, and marshaling items for board attention. Now is the perfect time for

The FTC issued a press release last week seeking comment on proposed changes to two rules under the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act of 1999 (the “GLBA Act”) to increase data security for financial institutions and better protect consumers. 

The Commission has sought comment on the Safeguards Rule and the Privacy Rule under the GLBA Act. The

The attorneys general of all 50 states as well as the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, and Guam have offered their support to pending legislation, the Telephone Robocall Abuse Criminal Enforcement and Deterrence (“TRACED”) Act, aimed at significantly reducing robocalls.  The support was in the form of a letter sent by

On March 1, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau released a report concerning mortgages made to members of the U.S. armed forces and veterans purchasing a first home.  It is part of a series of quarterly reports the CFPB will issue focusing on consumer credit trends.  This Quarterly Consumer Credit Trends report highlights trends among first-time

The Supreme Court agreed to hear a consumer’s appeal from the Third Circuit’s ruling that his claims under the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act were time-barred despite being brought within one year of discovering the violation.  The circuits have been split on whether the one-year statute of limitations under the FDCPA begins to run when

A federal court in Pennsylvania recently awarded summary judgment in favor of a consumer who brought a suit under the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act against a collection agency. The plaintiff alleged, and the Court agreed, that the collection letter misleadingly indicated that a dispute could be made by phone, despite the letter’s inclusion of

On January 29, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau released a snapshot report of consumer complaints to provide a high-level overview of the trends in complaints it has received over the past 24 months.  The report is split into two sections – a summary of the volume of all consumer complaints received by the CFPB

On January 31, 2019, Senator Mike Azinger introduced Senate Bill 495 to the West Virginia Legislature (referred to the Judiciary Committee). The Bill proposes amendments to the West Virginia Consumer Credit and Protection Act (“WVCCPA”), W. Va. Code § 46A-5-101, which are intended to “bring the Act in conformity with the federal Fair Debt Collection

If a recent proposal is any indication, the Federal Housing Finance Agency (“FHFA”) may feel more comfortable with the status quo than with permitting Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac (“the Enterprises”) to explore the benefits of using VantageScore 3.0, a credit-scoring alternative jointly created by the nationwide consumer reporting agencies, or “CRAs.”

Last month, the

On January 25, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau posted a list of four frequently asked questions, or “FAQs,” clarifying some aspects of the TILA-RESPA Integrated Disclosure Rule (TRID Rule). 

The TRID Rule, which applies to many consumer mortgage loans, consolidated the various disclosure forms that were required