CFPB, Federal Agencies, State Agencies, and Attorneys General
The CFPB recently announced that it has issued a Compliance Assistance Statement of Terms Template (“CAST Template”) through its Compliance Assistance Sandbox Policy (“CAS Policy”) after receiving an application from Build Commonwealth, Inc. (“Commonwealth”).
The Commonwealth CAST Template can be used by employers as the basis for an application to the CFPB to obtain…
On July 31, 2020, the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) approved the national bank charter application of Varo Bank, N.A., a wholly-owned subsidiary of fintech Varo Money, Inc. The approved application is for a full-service charter, not the OCC’s controversial FinTech charter that is currently the subject of ongoing litigation. In…
In the wake of the U.S. Supreme Court’s June 29, 2020 decision in Seila Law LLC v. Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, which held that the CFPB’s leadership structure violates the separation of powers mandated by the U.S. Constitution and made the Bureau’s Director removable by the President at will, many are urging Congress to further…
As discussed in our June 12th post, the New York City Department of Consumer Affairs (“DCA”) issued new debt collection rules related to limited English proficiency servicing. These rules took effect June 27, 2020, but due to the COVID-19 crisis, DCA provided the industry with a 60-day enforcement grace period until August 26, 2020.…
On August 3, 2020, the Federal Financial Institutions Examination Council (“FFIEC”) issued a joint statement to provide prudent risk management and consumer protection principles for financial institutions to consider when working with borrowers as consumer and business loans near the end of initial loan accommodation periods during the coronavirus pandemic. The guidance notes that the…
Acting Comptroller Brooks recently revealed the OCC’s plans to create a national payments charter for payment processing companies. After discussing the new charter’s intended purpose and benefits, we look at the OCC’s planned two-phase roll-out, how a payments charter would differ from the OCC’s fintech charter, other charter options for non-bank payment processors, and possible…
In March 2020, the Fifth Circuit, on its own motion, entered an order vacating the panel’s ruling in All American Check Cashing that the CFPB’s structure was constitutional and granting rehearing en banc. On June 30, the Fifth Circuit tentatively calendared the case for en banc oral argument during the week of September 21,…
As we reported, Acting Comptroller of the Currency Brian Brooks has previewed the OCC’s plans to introduce another special purpose national bank charter that would give payment companies a nationwide servicing platform and federal preemption of state laws regarding licensing and regulation of money transmitters and payment services providers. Acting Comptroller Brooks’ statements drew…
Last week, the FTC released two new reports about the agency’s findings from an April 2017 study of consumers’ experiences with the car buying process. The FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection (BPC) authored a summary report called “Buckle Up: Navigating Auto Sales and Financing.” The BPC, in partnership with the FTC’s Bureau of…
Recently, the federal banking regulators issued four new sets of examination procedures. The OCC issued two significant examination booklets on sampling methodologies and UDAP/UDAAP, and the federal banking regulators, together with state financial regulators, issued interagency exam guidance for assessing safety and soundness of financial institutions in light of the ongoing impact of the COVID-19…
