Artificial intelligence is rapidly evolving from a tool that assists human decision-making into technology capable of acting independently. The next frontier, often referred to as agentic AI or agentic commerce, envisions AI agents negotiating contracts, making purchases, authorizing payments, and completing commercial transactions with little or no human intervention.

While enormous investments are being made to develop this technology, far less attention has been devoted to an equally important question: What legal infrastructure will govern autonomous commercial transactions?… Continue Reading

Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey has proposed regulations that would stop certain companies in the state from reporting medical debt to consumer credit agencies. 

The proposal would prohibit licensed medical care providers and debt collectors working for them from reporting medical debt to credit bureaus, intending to help patients avoid long-term financial harm after an unexpected illness or medical emergency. … Continue Reading

The FTC recently announced the settlement (subject to court approval) of an action  premised in part on its Unfair and Deceptive Fees Rule (the so-called “Junk Fee Rule”

The FTC and the companies that operate the Hopper travel apps reached an agreement that would require the companies to pay $35 million.… Continue Reading

On July 8, 2026, the New York City Department of Consumer and Worker Protection (DCWP) proposed a far-reaching rule that would prohibit businesses from charging consumers hidden “junk fees” and require “all-in” pricing for virtually every good and service advertised in New York City. If adopted, the proposal would represent one of the broadest municipal price-transparency regulations in the country and would significantly expand the City’s efforts to combat so-called junk fees beyond the hotel industry. … Continue Reading

On July 13, 2026, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC), Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC), and National Credit Union Administration (NCUA) issued interagency guidance reminding the financial institutions they supervise of their existing safety and soundness obligations when extending credit to individuals who are not legally authorized to work in the United States.… Continue Reading

On July 13, 2026, we reported that the National Association of Industrial Bankers (NAIB), the Online Lenders Alliance (OLA), and the American Financial Services Association (AFSA), represented by Ballard Spahr, had filed a motion for a preliminary injunction on July 9, 2026 seeking to prevent Oregon officials from enforcing Oregon’s recently enacted DIDMCA opt-out law while the litigation proceeds.… Continue Reading

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau has released its Semiannual Regulatory Agenda covering the period from January 2026 through November 2026. Published through the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA) as part of the Unified Agenda of Federal Regulatory and Deregulatory Actions, the agenda provides an important roadmap of the Bureau’s anticipated regulatory activity during the remainder of the year.… Continue Reading

The Federal Trade Commission recently issued a proposed policy statement that could reshape how financial services firms use AI-powered tools. The proposed statement, titled “Proposed Policy Statement Concerning the Suppression of Accuracy in Artificial Intelligence Systems,” puts AI developers on notice that altering AI outputs away from accuracy, even if done to comply with a state law, may constitute consumer deception under Section 5 of the FTC Act.… Continue Reading

In a noteworthy development in the ongoing litigation challenging the Trump Administration’s efforts to dramatically reduce the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s workforce, the CFPB and the National Treasury Employees Union (NTEU) have jointly asked the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia to temporarily stay proceedings concerning the Bureau’s proposed 2026 reduction-in-force (RIF) plan.… Continue Reading

The CFPB recently issued a request for information (RFI) on the Truth in Lending Act (TILA)/Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act (RESPA) Integrated Disclosure (TRID) rule, the right of rescission under TILA, and reverse mortgages. Comments are due by August 10, 2026.

The RFI is based on the March 2026 Executive Order (EO) 14393 entitled “Promoting Access to Mortgage Credit”.… Continue Reading