Fintech

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According to an exclusive Bloomberg Law report, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation is considering plans to work with banking and financial technology industry groups to establish a new standard-setting organization. The report is based on a term sheet that would establish a Banking Industry Standards Development Organization (BISDO) to develop standards and issue standard certifications to third-party service providers that partner with banks.… Continue Reading

The California Department of Financial Protection and Innovation (DFPI) has taken the next step in its challenge to a bank-fintech lending program by appealing the Los Angeles County Superior Court’s decision in Opportunity Financial, LLC v. Hewlett. According to the Superior Court docket, a Notice of Appeal was filed on July 21, 2026, ensuring that the closely watched dispute over the “true lender” doctrine will now move to the California Second Appellate District Court of Appeal. … Continue Reading

In today’s episode of the Consumer Finance Monitor Podcast, we are pleased to present an audio version of the webinar we conducted on May 27, 2026 examining the CFPB’s revised final rule and its practical implications for banks, credit unions, FinTech companies, and other providers of small business credit.

During this comprehensive discussion, our host, Alan Kaplinsky (founder, former Practice Group Leader for 25 years and now Senior Counsel of the Consumer Financial Services Group) was joined by his Ballard Spahr colleagues Richard Andreano and John Culhane, along with two distinguished guest panelists: Bradley Blower, Principal and Founder of Inclusive-Partners, LLC, and Louis Caditz-Peck, Executive Director of the Responsible Business Lending Coalition.… Continue Reading

At a May 19, 2026 Ballard Spahr webinar, “Cutting Out the Middleman: The Surge in FinTech Applications to Charter Banks, Industrial Banks and National Trust Companies,” a distinguished panel of banking, fintech, crypto, and consumer financial services experts explored one of the most important developments currently reshaping the financial services industry: the growing movement by fintech companies, payments firms, lenders, and crypto-native businesses to obtain their own banking charters rather than relying on traditional bank partnerships.… Continue Reading

At a May 19, 2026 Ballard Spahr webinar, “Cutting Out the Middleman: The Surge in FinTech Applications to Charter Banks, Industrial Banks and National Trust Companies,” a distinguished panel of banking, fintech, crypto, and consumer financial services professionals explored one of the most important developments currently reshaping the financial services industry: the growing movement by fintech companies, payments firms, lenders, and crypto-native businesses to obtain their own banking charters rather than relying on traditional bank partnerships.… Continue Reading

The Aspen Institute’s Financial Security Program has announced a significant new initiative designed to address what many now view as one of the most pressing consumer protection challenges facing the United States: the explosion of fraud and scams targeting American consumers.

The newly launched Scam Prevention Initiative builds upon the work of the Aspen Institute’s National Task Force on Fraud and Scam Prevention and reflects an increasingly broad consensus that scams can no longer be viewed solely as an issue for consumers or financial institutions to solve on their own.… Continue Reading

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

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

President Donald Trump issued another significant Executive Order affecting the financial services industry, this time directed at integrating financial technology innovation more directly into the U.S. regulatory framework. The Executive Order, entitled “Integrating Financial Technology Innovation into Regulatory Frameworks,” was signed on May 19, 2026 and appears designed to accelerate the integration of fintech firms, digital asset providers, and other non-bank innovators into the traditional banking and payments system.… Continue Reading

The latest episode of the Consumer Finance Monitor Podcast being released today tackles one of the most consequential developments in bank–fintech litigation in recent years: the Los Angeles Superior Court’s tentative decision in Opportunity Financial, LLC v. Hewlett (read more here). This case squarely addresses the long-debated “true lender” doctrine which has for decades bedeviled banks and Fintechs and “bricks and mortar” non-banks that have entered into joint ventures with one another to engage in interstate lending programs which take advantage of interest rate exportation rights afforded to banks.… Continue Reading