CFPB Director Kraninger was the sole witness at a House Financial Services Committee hearing yesterday on the Bureau’s Spring 2019 semi-annual report and at a Senate Banking Committee hearing today on the report.

At the House hearing, Director Kraninger came under harsh criticism from Democratic members, with one member reportedly calling Ms.… Continue Reading

CFPB recently issued its Spring 2019 Semi-Annual Report to Congress covering the period October 1, 2018 through March 31, 2019.

The report represents the CFPB’s second semi-annual report under Director Kraninger’s leadership.  Like the first semi-annual report issued under her leadership, and in contrast to those issued under Mr. Cordray’s leadership, the new report does not contain any aggregate numbers for how much consumers obtained in consumer relief and how much was assessed in civil money penalties in supervisory and enforcement actions during the period covered by the report.… Continue Reading

Two Democratic Senators have sent a letter to CFPB Director Kraninger and Education Secretary DeVos asking the regulators to explain what roadblocks are preventing the CFPB and ED from entering into a new memorandum of understanding to replace the MOU between the agencies that the ED terminated in 2017.

In their letter, the Senators indicated that the agencies have disagreed about the reason for the MOU’s termination and have provided conflicting information to Congress regarding the CFPB’s efforts to reestablish the MOU. … Continue Reading

To mark the first six months of Kathy Kraninger’s tenure as CFPB Director, the CFPB issued a press release providing highlights of the Bureau’s activities during that period.

The activities highlighted are those in the areas of consumer financial education, supervision, enforcement, and rulemaking.  The takeaway from the press release is that the Bureau continues to be very active under Director Kraninger’s leadership. … Continue Reading

A new decision and order from Director Kraninger that, with minor changes, strictly enforces another CFPB civil investigative demand is a further indication that the CFPB’s enforcement activities remain robust under her leadership.  The new order and decision follows five decisions and orders issued by Director Kraninger on April 25 in which she also, with minor changes, strictly enforced five CIDs.… Continue Reading

Consumer advocates have heavily criticized Director Kraninger and former Acting Director Mick Mulvaney for taking a much less aggressive attitude towards enforcement than former Director Cordray.  While there are fewer lawsuits and consent orders under the Kraninger/Mulvaney leadership than under the Cordray leadership, the CFPB’s enforcement activities are still quite robust as exemplified by the five decisions and orders issued by Director Kraninger on April 25 in which she, with minor changes, strictly enforced five separate CFPB civil investigative demands (CIDs). … Continue Reading

In a letter sent to Senator Elizabeth Warren regarding the CFPB’s supervision of student loan servicers, CFPB Director Kathy Kraninger discussed the Bureau’s relationship with the Department of Education.

In the letter, Director Kraninger responded to a question from Senator Warren regarding the guidance issued by the ED in December 2017 to student loan servicers about the application of the Privacy Act of 1974 to certain student loan records.  … Continue Reading

In remarks today at the Bipartisan Policy Center (BPC), CFPB Director Kathy Kraninger outlined how she plans to use the various “tools” available to the CFPB.  While consistent with her recent testimony to House and Senate committees, her BPC remarks provide a more detailed view of the approach she plans to take in wielding the CFPB’s authority.… Continue Reading

CFPB Director Kraninger is scheduled to give public remarks at a Bipartisan Policy Center program scheduled for April 17, 2019 at 10 a.m. in Washington, D.C.

According to BCP’s website, the remarks will be Director Kraninger’s “first public remarks laying out her vision for the Bureau” and “will cover topics including protecting consumers from bad actors, providing clear rules of the road to financial institutions and non-bank lenders, and empowering consumers to make sound financial choices.”  … Continue Reading

The Federal Financial Institutions Examination Council (FFIEC) announced that CFPB Director Kathy Kraninger became the Chairman of the FFIEC on April 1, 2019.  Ms. Kraninger is the first CFPB Director to serve as FFIEC Chairman.  Her two-year term runs until March 31, 2021.

The FFIEC chairmanship rotates among the FFIEC’s federal members for two-year terms in the following order: OCC, Federal Reserve, FDIC, CFPB, and NCUA. … Continue Reading