In this episode, Adam Maarec sits down with fintech thought leader Simon Taylor for a lively fireside chat focused on the rapidly evolving world of fintech, payments, and banking innovation. Adam, an experienced legal and regulatory advisor in financial services, and Simon, widely recognized for his writing, podcasts, and advisory work with fintechs, banks, VCs, and regulators, delve into some of the most relevant challenges and opportunities shaping the industry today.… Continue Reading

On June 1, 2026, Chief Judge Virginia Kendall of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois issued a major follow-up opinion in Illinois Bankers Association v. Raoul that substantially alters the court’s February 2026 summary judgment decision regarding the Illinois Interchange Fee Prohibition Act (“IFPA”).

The new opinion was issued after the Seventh Circuit vacated the district court’s February ruling and remanded the case for reconsideration in light of the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency’s April 2026 Interim Final Rule and Interim Final Order addressing the IFPA.… Continue Reading

Citing federal cutbacks in consumer protection and an increase in consumer complaints, the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR) has launched a new online submission option intended to modernize and simplify the manner in which Illinois consumers file complaints.

The new portal will accept complaints that will be directed to the Division of Banking (DOB) as well as complaints that will be directed to the Division of Financial Institutions (DFI).… Continue Reading

The CFPB is ending telework—a move that requires 1,100 employees to report to work five days a week to a new headquarters in Washington, D.C., The American Banker reported.

The publication reported that the bureau’s Chief Operating Officer, Adam Martinez, said in a memo that employees will begin moving to the new headquarters at 445 12th St.… Continue Reading

CFPB Chief Legal Officer Mark Paoletta has been selected as the bureau’s Deputy Director—a move that reflects that Acting Director Russell Vought’s term is coming to a close and that Paoletta will succeed him, Bloomberg reports.

Under federal law, Vought cannot serve as Acting Director past August 1.   However, under the Federal Vacancies Reform Act, a top deputy or other senior official may serve as Acting Director until a full-time agency head is confirmed by the Senate.… Continue Reading

As expected, advocacy groups and private companies have filed a lawsuit challenging the CFPB’s recent final rule (Final Rule) revising Regulation B, which implements the Equal Credit Opportunity Act (ECOA). The lawsuit was filed in the federal district court for the District of Columbia by the National Fair Housing Alliance, Rise Economy (fka California Reinvestment Coalition), BLDS, LLC and SolasAI.… Continue Reading

As previously reported, in July 2025 Congress passed legislation to reauthorize partial claims with U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) guaranteed home loans. The VA has now announced that the VA Partial Claim program will open for submissions on June 15, 2026, and that servicers will have until November 28, 2026, to implement the partial claim program into their systems.… Continue Reading

President Trump’s May 19, 2026 executive order, Restoring Integrity to America’s Financial System, directs Treasury, FinCEN, the CFPB, and the federal banking agencies to reassess how financial institutions identify and manage risks associated with non-work authorized populations and related cross border financial activity. The order reflects a significant shift in federal expectations across BSA/AML compliance, customer identification, and consumer credit underwriting.… Continue Reading

In a significant victory for bank-fintech partnership models, the Los Angeles County Superior Court on May 19, 2026 has now issued its final Statement of Decision granting summary judgment in favor of Opportunity Financial, LLC (“OppFi”) in its long-running litigation with the California Department of Financial Protection and Innovation (“DFPI”). The final opinion follows the court’s February 24, 2026 tentative ruling, which we previously discussed on this blog.… Continue Reading

On a recent episode of the Consumer Finance Monitor Podcast, Alan Kaplinsky, host of the podcast, had the opportunity to interview Amelia O’Rourke-Owens, a legal scholar and former CFPB policy fellow, about her article, “Tearing Holes in Consumer Protection: Democracy’s Safety Net.” Amelia is the founder and CEO of Resilience Solutions, which provides subject matter expertise and consulting services around policy solutions and strategic planning.… Continue Reading