In a pair of coordinated actions on April 24, 2026, the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) moved to reaffirm and expand the scope of National Bank Act (NBA) preemption to credit and debit card interchange fees and the use of electronic payment transaction data.

The OCC issued (i) an interim final rule clarifying that interchange fees are protected “non-interest charges,” and (ii) an interim final order expressly preempting the Illinois Interchange Fee Prohibition Act (IFPA).… Continue Reading

In the episode of Consumer Finance Monitor Podcast being released today, we explore the White House’s National Policy Framework for Artificial Intelligence published on March 20, 2026. This new framework represents the Administration’s most concrete attempt yet to shape the future of AI governance in the United States. While it does not carry the force of law, it offers a revealing look at the policy direction the Administration hopes Congress will take.… Continue Reading

The nation’s largest ticket exchange and resale service, StubHub Holdings, Inc., will pay $10 million to settle Federal Trade Commission allegations that the company violated the FTC Act and the agency’s trade regulation rule on Unfair or Deceptive Fees.

The FTC said the service advertised ticket prices on its website without “clearly and conspicuously disclosing up-front how much consumers actually would pay, including all mandatory fees” from May 12 through May 14, 2025.… Continue Reading

The FTC and the Maryland Attorney General’s Office announced that Lindsay Automotive Group (“Lindsay”) must pay refunds to consumers the government officials said were misled by Lindsay, under a settlement reached with the dealerships and other defendants.

The settlement resolves allegations that Lindsay and its executives deceived consumers for years with falsely low prices and unwanted add-ons that resulted in buyers paying thousands of dollars more for their vehicles.… Continue Reading

In Episode 5 of our Debt Sales 101 mini-series, we turn to contracting and closing, where legal structure, regulatory expectations, and commercial terms come together to define the transaction. We discuss the key provisions in a debt purchase and sale agreement and how those provisions allocate risk between buyers and sellers.… Continue Reading

At a time when consumer financial regulation is both rapidly evolving and deeply contested, the launch of the Institute for Consumer Financial Choice (ICFC) represents a significant and timely development. Housed within the Law & Economics Center at George Mason University Antonin Scalia Law School, the ICFC is designed to bring rigorous, evidence-based analysis to some of the most important questions in consumer finance.… Continue Reading

In this episode of the Consumer Finance Monitor Podcast, host Alan Kaplinsky (founder, former chair for 25 years and now Senior Counsel) had the pleasure of speaking with Sam Levine, Commissioner of the New York City Department of Consumer and Worker Protection (DCWP), about the agency’s evolving role as one of the most active local consumer protection regulators in the country.… Continue Reading

The Federal Reserve has transferred funds to the Federal Reserve Bank of New York to pay the expenses of the CFPB for the third quarter of this fiscal year, according to a letter posted on the agency’s website.

The letter from Federal Reserve Chief Financial Officer Rendell Jones to CFPB Chief Financial Officer Janfar Gueye does not disclose the amount of the deposit, but the bureau requested $75.8 million.… Continue Reading

A high-stakes procedural battle is unfolding in the en banc U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit that could determine the near-term fate of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (“CFPB”).

In a newly filed response, the National Treasury Employees Union (“NTEU”) and other plaintiffs are pushing back forcefully against efforts by Acting CFPB Director Russell Vought and the government to modify an existing preliminary injunction that has, to date, prevented large-scale layoffs at the agency.… Continue Reading

In Episode 4 of our Debt Sales 101 mini-series, we focus on the current regulatory landscape governing debt sales and how recent developments are shaping the market. We discuss how oversight has become more fragmented, more active, and increasingly driven by state regulators and attorneys general, and how that shift is affecting both buyers and sellers.… Continue Reading