Last month, industry saw the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) issue a number of compliance aids in anticipation of two CFPB Debt Collection Final Rules becoming effective on November 30. On October 1, the CFPB issued the Debt Collection Rule FAQs, which contained questions and answers pertaining to limited-content messages and telephone call

In a report released on November 2, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) found that credit report disputes more commonly occur among consumers in majority Black and Hispanic neighborhoods than consumers in majority white neighborhoods. New CFPB Director Rohit Chopra attributed this disparity to alleged “[e]rror-ridden credit reports” that “are far too prevalent and may

On October 27, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) announced a final rule (Final Rule), amending the Standards for Safeguarding Customer Information (Safeguards Rule) under the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act (GLBA) as it applies to covered financial institutions. The Final Rule provides guidance on developing and implementing information security programs, such as access controls, authentication, and encryption. Notably,

On October 29, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB or Bureau) announced leadership changes in two positions: the assistant director for the Office of Supervision Policy and the assistant director for the Office of Enforcement.

Lorelei Salas joined the Bureau as assistant director for the Office of Supervision Policy and will also serve as the

On October 20, the New York Department of Financial Services (NYDFS) published a notice in the New York State Register announcing that it has issued a proposed regulation to implement S 5470-B, which requires disclosures for commercial financing transactions of $2.5 million or less under a commercial financing agreement.

The notice allows for public

On October 18, consumer advocate groups and 19 state attorneys general wrote comment letters, urging banking regulators to denounce “rent-a-bank” arrangements between financial institutions and fintechs or other third-party providers.

The consumer advocates and attorneys general both push regulators to address and denounce financial institutions partnering with nonbanks to engage in high-cost lending otherwise prohibited

On October 4, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) announced on its website that the deadline to request initial forbearance for a COVID-19 hardship for loans backed by the Federal Housing Administration (HUD/FHA), the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), or the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has been extended. Specifically, the CFPB tells borrowers

On September 21, the U.S. Senate voted 49-48 along party lines on a procedural motion to advance the nomination of current Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Commissioner Rohit Chopra to become the director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB). Commissioner Chopra’s nomination had been in limbo since March, when the Senate Banking Committee failed to

On August 11, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) published a notice and request for comment in the Federal Register on its information collection initiative, “Electronic Disclosure on Mobile Devices.” The CFPB issued the request for comment in advance of seeking formal approval for the initiative from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB).

The

A federal district court judge in Massachusetts denied a credit repair company’s motion to dismiss a case brought by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) and the state of Massachusetts alleging that the company made false representations about customers’ ability to improve their credit rating and requested payment in advance of full performance, in violation