We have previously blogged about an enforcement action brought on July 12, 2022 by the CFPB against Populus Financial Group, Inc., d/b/a ACE Cash Express, Inc. in Federal District Court for the Northern District of Texas (Judge James E. Kinkeade). CFPB alleges in its lawsuit that Populus engaged in unfair, deceptive, and abusive acts or practices by concealing the option of a free repayment plan to consumers and making unauthorized debit-card withdrawals.… Continue Reading
CFPB: Families Forced to Pay ‘Junk’ Fees for School Lunches
The CFPB’s latest focus on consumer fees is targeting payment processors for school lunches. The CFPB says that families who choose to purchase school lunches are being forced to pay fees to companies that process their payments.
“These fees are widespread, regressive, and may be burdensome for families and districts, who have little control over fee rates and few opportunities to shop around,” the bureau said, in releasing a report on the payment processors.… Continue Reading
FirstCash Files Motion for Partial Summary Judgment in Case Filed by CFPB
FirstCash, a national pawnshop chain, is asking a federal judge to confirm that it has a statutory defense to all of the CFPB’s claims that it violated the Military Lending Act (MLA) while also asking the judge to drop three of the CFPB’s MLA claims for lack of jurisdiction—contending that the bureau has conceded that it does not have the authority to enforce those claims..… Continue Reading
CFPB files motion to dismiss Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce for lack of standing and if granted, renews its motion to transfer the lawsuit challenging the credit card late fee to D.C. Federal District Court
On July 29, 2024, the CFPB filed a motion to dismiss the Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce as a Plaintiff for lack of standing and if granted, transfer the case to a the Federal District Court for D.C. In its brief, the CFPB argues that the Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce cannot satisfy the test for associational standing and once Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce is dismissed, the remaining plaintiffs cannot establish that venue is proper in the Fort Worth Division of the Northern District of Texas.… Continue Reading
Rent-to-Own Company Sues CFPB Over Authority to Regulate RTO Transactions
Part 1 – The CFPB has no authority to investigate or sue Acima because, under Dodd-Frank and the appropriations Clause of the Constitution, it may only be funded out of combined earnings of the Federal Reserve System and there are only combined losses beginning in September 2022.
In a race to the courthouse, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and a Lease-to-own (“LTO”) company sued each other last week, with the CFPB alleging the company engaged in illegal lending designed to evade consumer financial protection laws, and the company alleging that the Bureau pursued an illegal and unconstitutional investigation beyond its authority that seeks to usurp the state regulatory framework which recognizes that LTO transactions are different from credit transactions.… Continue Reading
CFPB: Confidentiality Agreements Can’t Deter Whistleblowers from Reporting Alleged Violations
The CFPB warned on July 24, 2024, that confidentiality agreements that employees of a company are required to sign likely violate federal law if those agreements imply that employees could face retaliation from their employer or co-workers if they report what they perceive as unlawful behavior or wrongdoing at the company.… Continue Reading
This week’s podcast episode: Buy Now, Pay Later – Evolution, Regulation, and What You Need to Know about the CFPB Interpretive Rule Effective July 30
“Buy Now, Pay Later” (BNPL) products emerged relatively recently as a new approach enabling consumers to enjoy the ability to make a purchase and then pay for it over time. Today’s episode, during which we explore the evolution of BNPL products and important recent developments in BNPL regulation, is hosted by Alan Kaplinsky, former practice leader and current Senior Counsel in Ballard Spahr’s Consumer Financial Services Group, and features Ballard Spahr Partners Michael Guerrero and Joseph Schuster.… Continue Reading
CFPB Proposes Interpretive Rule that EWAs Are Credit; Expedited Funding Fees and Tips May Be Finance Charges under Regulation Z
On August 13th, 2024, from 1:30 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. ET, we will hold a webinar covering the CFPB’s BNPL interpretive rule and its proposed earned wage access (“EWA”) interpretive rule. For more information and to register, click here.
On July 18, 2024, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (the “CFPB” or “Bureau”) proposed an interpretive rule that states (1) EWA products fall under the definition of “credit” under the Truth in Lending Act (“TILA”) and Regulation Z and (2) fees for certain tips and for expedited funding are finance charges.… Continue Reading
Judge Pittman (N.D. Texas) questions whether Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce has standing to pursue claims seeking to invalidate the CFPB’s credit card late fee rule
We recently reported that on July 18 the CFPB, upon remand from the Fifth Circuit, re-filed its notice of supplemental authority in support of its motion to dismiss or transfer the case, motion to dissolve the preliminary injunction, and brief in support of its motion. (The filings were previously stricken due to the district court’s lack of jurisdiction.).… Continue Reading
Fifth Circuit orders CFPB to file a response to petition for rehearing en banc in CFSA case
We recently reported that, upon remand from the Supreme Court (after it ruled that the CFPB’s funding mechanism is Constitutional), the plaintiff-trade groups filed a petition for rehearing en banc in the Fifth Circuit in the CFSA v. CFPB case. In the petition, they requested the Fifth Circuit en banc to rehear other claims in their case attacking the remnants of the CFPB’s payday lending regulation which had earlier been rejected by the same Fifth Circuit panel of judges who held that the CFPB was unconstitutionally funded.… Continue Reading