“Although there may be other constitutional checks on Congress’ authority to create and fund an administrative agency, specifying the source and purpose is all the control the Appropriations Clause requires.” With these words, seven members of the Supreme Court upheld the constitutionality of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s funding mechanism and forestalled the possibility that
Small-Dollar Lending
CFPB Issues Additional Guidance on Use of AI in Credit Underwriting
On September 19, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) issued Circular 2023-03, which provides guidance as to how lenders must explain denials of applications of credit when the underwriting is based on artificial intelligence (AI) or complex credit models. The upshot of the guidance is that a lender that denies an application for credit…
Supreme Court to Decide CFPB’s Validity
Less than three years after the U.S. Supreme Court reviewed the CFPB’s appointment structure, the bureau again finds itself before the Court in what could prove the most consequential case for the financial services industry in years. Four months ago, the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals issued a decision in Community Financial Services Association of…
Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals Invalidates Small-Dollar Rule, Throws the Future of the CFPB Into Question
On October 19, 2022, the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals issued its opinion in Community Financial Services Association of America, et al. v. CFPB (CFSA v. CFPB) invalidating the CFPB’s Payday, Vehicle-Title, and Certain High-Cost Installment Loans rule (Small-Dollar Rule). The three-member panel decision calls into question the future viability of the CFPB…
FTC Updates CFPB on Action in the Fair Lending Space
In early February, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) sent its annual letter to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB). The letter explained the FTC’s activities related to the Equal Credit Opportunity Act (ECOA) and Regulation B of ECOA. Pursuant to a January 2012 memorandum of understanding between the CFPB and the FTC, and consistent with…
New Mexico Governor Signs Bill to Impose 36% Rate Cap and Tough Anti-Evasion Provisions
Beginning next year, New Mexico will join a handful of other states (including, among others, California, Illinois, and Colorado) setting stringent interest rate caps on consumer loans. House Bill 132, which Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham signed on March 1, 2022, will slash the annual percentage rate (APR) applicable to loans made under New Mexico’s…
CFPB Fall Supervisory Highlights Shed Light on Agency Priorities – Small Dollar Lending
The Fall Supervisory Highlights came out this month and reports the Bureau’s findings of examinations completed between January 2021 and June 2021. The CFPB publishes the Supervisory Highlights to help institutions better understand how the CFPB examines and monitors compliance with federal consumer financial laws. CFPB examiners often find problems during supervisory examinations that are…
CFPB Sets Sight On “Buy Now Pay Later” in Targeted Inquiries
On December 16, the CFPB announced that it had issued orders to five companies providing “Buy Now Pay Later” (BNPL) products to “collect information on the risks and benefits of these fast-growing loans.” Earlier this year, the CFPB released a blog directed at consumers explaining how BNPL products operate and identifying potential risks associated with…
CFPB Fall Supervisory Highlights Shed Light on Agency Priorities
Yesterday, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) released its Fall Supervisory Highlights. The report covers examinations completed between January and June of 2021. Over the last year, the Biden-era CFPB has made various statements about its priorities. For instance, the Bureau has issued comments or taken action related to the small dollar lending agenda,…
After (Another) Unusual Year, We’re Very Thankful and Wish You a Happy Thanksgiving
Now that the pandemic’s “social distancing” is lessening, we hope you are all able to gather with friends and family this Thanksgiving. As we do the same, we wanted to count our blessings as we review the year. This year, we are thankful for being able to return to our offices, our favorite restaurants, and…