John L. Culhane, Jr.

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In a replay of earlier events, in response to an emergency petition for writ of mandamus and administrative stay of transfer filed by the plaintiffs in the lawsuit challenging the legality of the CFPB’s credit card late fee rule, the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals on May 29, stayed a District Court order that would have transferred the case to the District of Columbia.… Continue Reading

On May 20, 2004, the Federal Trade Commission (“FTC”) sent its annual report to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (“CFPB”) highlighting its enforcement actions and initiatives in 2023 under the Truth in Lending Act (“TILA”), Consumer Leasing Act (“CLA”), and Electronic Fund Transfer Act (“EFTA”).

While the Dodd-Frank Act (“Dodd-Frank”) provided the CFPB with rulemaking and enforcement authority over the major consumer financial services laws and regulations, the FTC retained authority to enforce TILA and Regulation Z, CLA and Regulation M, EFTA and Regulation E, and CFPB rules applicable to entities within the FTC’s jurisdiction.… Continue Reading

(As a refresher, if you forgot where things stood the last time you read one of our blogs related to the CFPB credit card late fee rule litigation, click here.)

On Friday May 24, in response to the CFPB’s motion requesting the Fifth Circuit to accelerate the issuance of its mandate from July 9, 2024 with respect to its earlier dismissal of the plaintiffs’ appeal, the Fifth Circuit ordered that the mandate be issued “forthwith.”… Continue Reading

The result of the CFPB’s multi-year study of the BNPL industry is what the CFPB calls an interpretive rule in which it finds that: (1) “digital user accounts” (each a “DUA”) that may be used to access credit are “credit cards” under Regulation Z; (2) the lenders that issue such accounts are “card issuers;” and (3) that as it relates to traditional BNPL loans (loans that are payable in four or fewer installments with no finance charge) these card issuers are “creditors” subject to subpart B of Regulation Z—the provisions typically applicable to open-end credit.… Continue Reading

Last Friday, May 10, the Texas federal district court hearing the lawsuit challenging the CFPB’s final credit card late fee rule (Rule) granted the plaintiffs’ preliminary injunction motion and stayed the Rule.  The Rule was set to become effective tomorrow, May 14.  The district court’s ruling followed the entry of an order by the Fifth Circuit vacating the district court’s order denying the plaintiffs’ motion for expedited consideration of their preliminary injunction motion and remanding the case to the district court with instructions to rule on the plaintiffs’ preliminary injunction motion by May 10.… Continue Reading

The industry group plaintiffs in NAIB et al. v. Weiser et al., the lawsuit challenging Colorado’s opt-out legislation, have filed their reply to the brief filed by the Colorado Attorney General and Colorado Uniform Consumer Credit Code Administrator in opposition to the plaintiffs’ motion for preliminary injunction.  In their reply, the plaintiffs also respond to the amicus brief filed by the FDIC supporting Colorado’s position.… Continue Reading

In the lawsuit challenging the CFPB’s final credit card late fee rule (Rule), the Fifth Circuit has denied the CFPB’s petition for a panel rehearing to reconsider the panel’s order vacating the district court’s order transferring the case to the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia and issuing a writ of mandamus directing the district court to reopen the case. … Continue Reading

As part of its junk fees initiative, the CFPB released a new report, “Price Complexity in Laboratory Markets.”  In its press release about the report, the CFPB states that because it “suggests consumers tend to pay more for products that have more complex pricing structures,” the report “has implications for understanding how junk fees impede fair and competitive pricing in markets like auto loans or mortgages, where consumers have to evaluate extended warranties, add-ons, closing costs, and a wide variety of other fees instead of an all-inclusive price.” … Continue Reading

Last week, we blogged about arguments by Colorado and the FDIC in their briefs opposing a motion for preliminary injunction that would enjoin application of Colorado’s opt-out statute with respect to loans by FDIC-insured state banks located outside of Colorado. We promised to blog again this week with a more detailed discussion of why their arguments are off base.… Continue Reading

A surprising development took place yesterday in the lawsuit challenging the CFPB’s final credit card late fee rule (Rule).  The Fifth Circuit entered an order vacating the district court’s order denying the plaintiffs’ motion for expedited consideration of their preliminary injunction motion and remanding the case to the district court with instructions to rule on the plaintiffs’ preliminary injunction motion by May 10, 2024. … Continue Reading