CFPB, Federal Agencies, State Agencies, and Attorneys General
Step into the intersection of consumer finance law and the solar energy industry with host Alan Kaplinsky, senior counsel at Ballard Spahr, and special guest Steven Burt, attorney and former public policy leader at major residential solar companies.
In this episode, listeners will get an insider’s look at today’s solar landscape.… Continue Reading
The Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) recently announced the conforming loan limits for residential mortgage loans acquired by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac in 2026. Fannie Mae addresses the limits in Lender Letter 2025-04.
The standard loan limit for a one-unit home increased from $806,500 in 2025 to $832,750 for 2026. … Continue Reading
The trade group representing debt collection agencies, creditors, debt buyers, collection attorneys, and debt collection industry service providers has filed suit challenging the Colorado law that bans the inclusion of medical debts in credit reports.
ACA International is joined by one of its members, the Fresno Credit Bureau, in the suit against Martha Fulford, the Colorado Uniform Consumer Credit Code Administrator. … Continue Reading
The CFPB is transferring all of its pending litigation to the Justice Department as a result of the funding crisis the Trump Administration has said the bureau faces, several news organizations have reported.
In addition, at a meeting on Thursday, Michael Salemi, the CFPB’s acting director of enforcement, said that more than 100 people will be furloughed because the CFPB is running out of money, The American Banker reported.… Continue Reading
The Tenth Circuit’s November 10 decision in National Association of Industrial Bankers v. Weiser marks the first appellate interpretation of a state’s opt-out authority under Section 525 of DIDMCA—and it carries major implications for state banks and their fintech partners.
The court held that a loan is “made in” an opt-out state if either the lender or the borrower is located there, meaning Colorado’s usury limits apply to loans made to Colorado residents by out-of-state state banks.… Continue Reading
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau is facing an unprecedented financial crisis—and the consequences could reshape the future of consumer financial protection. On December 10, 2025, Acting CFPB Director Russ Vought informed the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia that the Bureau will run out of money by year-end unless Congress provides a direct appropriation.… Continue Reading
Today’s episode marks the second of a two-part series, with Part One having been released on November 13th. In this installment, we continue our conversation on the many changes in fair lending policy and enforcement under the second Trump administration.
The discussion is moderated by Alan Kaplinsky, Senior Counsel, founder and former chair for 25 years of Ballard Spahr’s Consumer Financial Services Group, and features these distinguished experts in the field:
President Trump has nominated Stuart Levenbach, an Associate Director of the Office of Management and Budget, as CFPB director.
At OMB, Levenbach handles natural resources, energy, science and water issues. During President Trump’s first term, Levenbach was chief of staff of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
Levenbach does not have a background in consumer finance and multiple news organizations have reported that Trump Administration officials have said that the nomination was a technical move.… Continue Reading
As previously reported, the CFPB is proposing major changes to its 2023 final rule that would require financial institutions to report information contained in loan applications submitted by small businesses, including women-owned and minority-owned small businesses. The rule is better known as the “Section 1071 rule” after the section of the Dodd-Frank Act that required the CFPB to adopt it.… Continue Reading
The CFPB has issued a proposed rule that would make substantial changes to Regulation B under the Equal Credit Opportunity Act (ECOA). In one of the most significant changes, the bureau has preliminary determined that disparate-impact claims are not authorized by ECOA. The proposal also addresses what constitutes prohibited discouragement of applicants or prospective applicants and would substantially revise the rules governing special purpose credit programs (SPCPs) offered by for-profit creditors, essentially eliminating many of such SPCPs.… Continue Reading
