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Posts published in “Consumer Protection Defense & Compliance”

CFPB Rescinds the Abusiveness Policy Statement From January 2020: What Is Abusive Conduct Now?

Last year, the CFPB provided some answers to the question: What is abusive conduct? For 10 years, industry waited on a policy statement regarding the framework that the CFPB would use in enforcement related to the catch-all category of “abusiveness” only to have the CFPB rescind the policy statement citing that it intended to “exercise its supervisory and enforcement authority consistent with the full scope of its statutory authority under the Dodd-Frank Act.”

CFPB Issues Taskforce Report on How to Improve Consumer Protection in the Financial Marketplace

Last week the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau released its report from the Taskforce on Federal Consumer Financial Law. It is just shy of 900 pages and includes some 100 recommendations that, if implemented, would broaden the CFPB’s regulatory oversight powers.

Leading Subprime Auto Finance Company Settles With CFPB for Violations of the Fair Credit Reporting Act

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau recently announced a consent order against a subprime automobile finance company for violations of the Fair Credit Reporting Act resulting from systemic errors in data furnished to credit reporting agencies between January 2016 and August 2019.

2020 Year-End Wrap Up: Enforcement Actions of the State Attorneys General

In a year when society, families and business were forced to make immediate and radical adjustments, government offices also scrambled to proceed in a new environment. Regulators shifted resources in order to comply and respond to complaints of price-gouging while also continuing the investigations and enforcement actions already on the books.

Beware Short-term Lenders – Watch Your Collections! CFPB Announces Consent Decree with Short-term Lenders

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau on June 2 announced a settlement with a Tennessee-based company and its subsidiaries that provide short-term loans (payday or auto-title) for the lenders' conduct at all stages of their operations, including providing “deceptive finance charge disclosures … failing to refund overpayments ... and engaging in unfair debt collection practices.”

Texas AG Sues Houston Business for Operating Online Auction, Alleges Price-Gouging

On March 26, the Texas attorney general acted swiftly, filing a lawsuit against Auctions Unlimited LLC over an online auction that ended on March 24. The auction sparked an article published by the Chicago Tribune entitled  “more than 750,000 masks auctioned for huge markup in Texas while hospitals run out nationwide.”

What is ‘Abusive’ Conduct Under Dodd-Frank? CFPB Provides an Answer by Issuing Its Policy on Abusive Acts and Practices

Following its enaction, the Dodd-Frank Act left the financial services industry with uncertainty in many areas. For nearly 10 years, the industry has wondered and speculated about the inclusion of a prohibition against abusive acts and practices.  What exactly is abusive conduct? Is abusive conduct different from false and misleading acts or unfairness? How will the CFPB handle enforcement?

FTC Announces Consumer Protection Law Enforcement Action, Settlement

The Federal Trade Commission on Wednesday announced a major consumer protection law enforcement action and settlement against a Texas-based company for engaging in an unlawful pyramid scheme. The company, its former CEO, and two top promoters are banned from engaging in any multi-level marketing business. In addition, the company and CEO have agreed to pay $150 million. During Wednesday’s press conference, Andrew Smith, director of the FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection, noted that “multi-level marketing is not inherently illegal.” An illegal pyramid scheme encourages new business opportunities involving without looking at whether participants have a meaningful opportunity for selling products.…