Auto finance companies and others in the auto space should take note of a recent joint letter issued by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) and Department of Justice (DOJ) about the legal protections under the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act (SCRA). In the letter, CFPB Director Rohit Chopra set out that “[t]he CFPB is closely
Andrew J. Narod
Andrew Narod is an experienced litigator who represents bank and non-bank financial services institutions and other types of businesses in class-action litigation, complex commercial litigation, and other high-profile litigation disputes nationwide. His clients entrust him to navigate some of their most sensitive litigation matters in some of the most difficult venues in the country.
CFPB, DOJ File Complaint Against Non-Bank Mortgage Lender for Deliberate Discrimination Against Minority Families
On July 27, 2022, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) and the United States Department of Justice (DOJ) filed a complaint in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania against Trident Mortgage Company LP for alleged discrimination against minority families in the greater Philadelphia area.
According to the CFPB’s press release…
CFPB Issues Advisory Opinion Clarifying Its Views on When Debt Collectors Can Charge Consumers “Convenience Fees”
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) issued an advisory opinion on June 29, 2022, clarifying its view as to the legality under the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA) of “convenience fees” for optional methods of expedited payment not prescribed in the underlying loan documents, such as payment by phone or on the web. The…
CFPB Provides New Guidance on Discrimination in Algorithmic Credit Decisions
As we have repeatedly discussed this year in our Financial Services Perspectives blog, the current leadership of the CFPB has placed a significant emphasis upon fair lending. Seemingly once a month, or even more frequently at times, Director Rohit Chopra has announced a new initiative concerning fair lending and discrimination in the financial services industry.
Banking Regulators Publish Proposed Rule to Update Community Reinvestment Act Regulations
On May 5, 2022, the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (collectively the agencies) issued a joint notice of proposed rulemaking (the Proposed CRA Rule) that proposes changes to the way the agencies evaluate a bank’s performance under the…
CFPB’s Release Highlights “Unlawful Auto Repossessions” and Failures to Conduct Reasonable Investigations on Disputed Debts
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) issued a release on May 2, 2022, announcing the release of its Supervisory Highlights outlining identified consumer protection violations during the second half of 2021. In particular, the CFPB highlighted two industries of concern in its press release: auto servicers and credit reporting companies.
As for auto servicers, the…
Fintechs and Non-banks Beware: CFPB to Utilize “Dormant Authority” to Examine Fintechs and Other Non-bank Financial Services Companies
On Monday, the CFPB issued a press release announcing that it will start using its authority to examine non-bank financial services institutions that the CFPB has “reasonable cause to determine pose risks to consumers.” In addition, the CFPB has released a procedural rule designed to “increase transparency of the risk-determination process” by subjecting the results…
CFPB Director Addresses the Final Report of the Interagency Task Force on Property Appraisal and Valuation Equity
The current leadership of the CFPB has not been shy about highlighting the importance of fair lending—and it is becoming increasingly clear that fair lending and equity within the financial services industry is one of the CFPB’s greatest priorities under Director Rohit Chopra. Just last month, the CFPB released a blog post to discuss possible…
CFPB Issues Release Regarding its Intent to Target “Unfair Discrimination in Consumer Finance”
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (“CFPB”) issued a release on March 16, 2022 in order to announce changes to its supervisory operations with respect to discriminatory lending and servicing practices.
In its press release, the CFPB explains that it has changed its approach towards examination of banks and non-banks in order to more closely “scrutinize”…
CFPB States Intent to Scrutinize Auto Lender Repossession Practices
On February 28, 2022, the CFPB released a Compliance Bulletin and policy guidance entitled “Mitigating Harm from Repossession of Automobiles.” In its bulletin, the CFPB sets forth the objective of reminding market participants of certain legal obligations under federal consumer protection laws in light of what it perceived to be “risky auto repossession…