The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has issued a final rule amending its regulations implementing the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) to add new provisions addressing how consumers may revoke consent to receive autodialed or prerecorded voice calls or texts and the obligations of callers and texters to honor revocation of consent requests.… Continue Reading
Michael R. Guerrero
CFPB seeks approval for new auto finance data collection
The CFPB recently published a notice in the Federal Register indicating that it is seeking approval from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for the collection of additional auto finance data pursuant to its authority under the Dodd-Frank Act .
In February 2023, the CFPB announced that it had issued market monitoring orders to nine large auto lenders requesting information about their auto lending portfolios. … Continue Reading
Fintech trade group sends letter to Director Chopra urging CFPB to develop regulatory approach for earned wage access products
The American Fintech Council (AFC), a trade group whose members include providers of earned wage access (EWA) products, has sent a letter to Director Chopra urging the CFPB to take steps towards development of a “pragmatic regulatory approach” for regulating EWA products.
In its letter, AFC discusses the “patchwork approach” to regulating EWA products that is emerging at the state level. … Continue Reading
FloatMe Settlement with FTC Contains Exacting Requirements
On January 22, 2024, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) entered into a Stipulated Order for Permanent Injunction, Monetary Judgment, and Other Relief (the “Order”) with FloatMe Corp. (“FloatMe”), a fintech that offers short-term cash advances through its mobile app, to settle litigation brought earlier in the month against the fintech and two of its principals (collectively, “Defendants”).… Continue Reading
New York Governor’s Proposed TED Bill Includes Sweeping BNPL Legislation
After promising earlier this year to “establish nation-leading regulations for the Buy Now Pay Later loan industry,” New York Governor Kathy Hochul took a significant first step in that direction by including Buy Now Pay Later (“BNPL”) legislation in her Proposed 2024-2025 Transportation, Economic Development and Environmental Conservation (“TED”) Bill.… Continue Reading
FTC Complaint Alleges Deception and Discrimination in Fintech’s Subscription Cash Advance Offerings
On January 2, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) filed a complaint against FloatMe Corp. (“FloatMe”), a fintech that offers short-term cash advances through its mobile app, alleging violations of the FTC Act, the Restore Online Shoppers’ Confidence Act (ROSCA), and the Equal Credit Opportunity Act (ECOA). The complaint is similar in its language and allegations to one filed by the FTC against Bridge It, Inc.,… Continue Reading
Earned Wage Access Products Are Not Loans, According to the AG of Montana
On December 22, 2023, the Attorney General of Montana released an opinion (the “Opinion”) concluding that certain earned wage access (EWA) products are not “consumer loans” or “deferred deposit loans” under Montana law and do not, therefore, require licensure by the Montana Division of Banking and Financial Institutions. The Opinion only applies to EWA products that are:
- fully non-recourse, meaning providers do not: have any legal or contractual right to repayment from consumers, engage in any debt collection activities, sell or assign any balances, or report any non-payment to a consumer reporting agency;
- not conditioned on payment of any mandatory interest, fee, or other compensation; and
- limited in amount to the consumer’s accrued income.
Democratic Senators urge continued CFPB scrutiny of buy-now-pay-later products
Democratic Senator Sherrod Brown, who chairs the Senate Banking Committee, and Democratic committee members Raphael Warnock and John Fetterman, have sent a letter to Director Chopra urging the CFPB to “continue focusing on” buy-now-pay-later (BNPL) products to ensure they do not “become a method to take advantage of struggling consumers.”
The Senators observed that “[w]hile BNPL might provide some consumers with helpful flexibility, it also presents new risks that the CFPB should continue to monitor and guard against.” … Continue Reading
New FCC rule on TCPA consent for advertising and telemarketing calls and texts will significantly impact callers who obtain consent from lead generators
Yesterday, by a vote of 4-1, the Federal Communication Commission (FCC) adopted a new rule amending its regulations implementing the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) to close what it refers to as the “lead generator loophole.” The new rule represents a major change for the online lead generation industry, including comparison shopping websites, by requiring lead generators to obtain consumer consent to receive robocalls and robotexts from one seller at a time, rather than having a single consent apply to multiple sellers at once. … Continue Reading
California federal district court grants summary judgment for DFPI in lawsuit challenging state’s regulations requiring consumer-like disclosures for commercial transactions
A California federal district court recently granted the motion for summary judgment filed by the California Department of Financial Protection and Innovation (DFPI) in the lawsuit filed by an advocacy organization seeking to enjoin the DFPI from enforcing its final regulations (Regulations) implementing California’s commercial financing disclosure law. SB 1235, which was signed into law in 2018, requires consumer-like disclosures to be made for certain commercial financing products, including small business loans and merchant cash advances. … Continue Reading