Earlier this month, the Pennsylvania Department of Banking and Securities issued a letter to “all persons engaged in activity regulated or licensed by the [Department] regardless of the means of delivery of such regulated financial service” which it described as intended to “reiterate[] and remind[]” such persons of its existing licensing guidance. … Continue Reading

The Conference of State Bank Supervisors has released a list of 33 companies that will serve as members of its Fintech Industry Advisory Panel.

According to the CSBS, the Advisory Panel’s purpose is “to support state regulators’ increased efforts to engage with financial services companies involved in fintech.”  More specifically, over the next twelve months, Advisory Panel members will participate in at least two in-person meetings with members of the CSBS Emerging Payments and Innovation Task Force and other state banking commissioners “to identify actionable steps for improving state licensing, regulation, and non-depository supervision and for supporting innovation in financial services.” … Continue Reading

The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) has filed a motion to dismiss the lawsuit filed by the New York Department of Financial Services (DFS) challenging the OCC’s authority to grant special purpose national bank (SPNB) charters to nondepository fintech companies.

The DFS lawsuit, which was filed in May 2017 in a New York federal district court, is similar to the lawsuit filed in April 2017 by the Conference of State Bank Supervisors (CSBS) in D.C.… Continue Reading

A new research paper released by the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia found that fintech lending has expanded consumers’ ability to access credit.  The paper, “Fintech Lending: Financial Inclusion, Risk Pricing, and Alternative Information,” used account-level data provided by a large fintech lender to “explore the advantages/disadvantages” of loans made by such lender “and similar loans that were originated through traditional banking channels.”… Continue Reading

On August 3, 2017, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) provided the mortgage industry with a first look at the portal to be used for the reporting of, and public access to, data under the Home Mortgage Disclosure Act (HMDA).  Reporting institutions will use the portal to submit data commencing with the submission of calendar year 2017 data by March 1, 2018. … Continue Reading

The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) has filed a renewed motion to dismiss the lawsuit filed by the Conference of State Bank Supervisors (CSBS) in D.C. federal district court challenging the OCC’s authority to grant special purpose national bank (SPNB) charters to fintech companies.  The OCC had filed the motion several days earlier but was required to file a renewed motion to reduce the number of footnotes. … Continue Reading

Democratic Senator Mark Warner has introduced a bill, S.1642, that would override the Second Circuit’s decision in Madden v. Midland Funding.  (In Madden, the Second Circuit ruled that a nonbank that purchases loans from a national bank could not charge the same rate of interest on the loan that Section 85 of the National Bank Act allows the national bank to charge.) … Continue Reading

Acting Comptroller of the Currency Keith Noreika, in remarks on July 19 to the Exchequer Club, confirmed that the OCC is continuing to consider its proposal to allow financial technology (fintech) companies to apply for a special purpose national bank (SPNB) charter.  Since the departure of the SPNB proposal’s architect, former Comptroller Thomas Curry, who Mr.… Continue Reading

Congressman Emanuel Cleaver, II announced last week that he had launched an investigation into small business financial technology (fintech) lending by sending a letter to the CEOs of several fintech small business lenders.  The letter includes 10 questions and asks for responses to be provided by no later than August 10, 2017.… Continue Reading

The OCC announced that its Office of Innovation will host office hours for national banks, federal savings associations, and financial technology (fintech) companies from July 24 through July 26, 2017 at the OCC’s district office in New York City.  According to the OCC, the office hours are intended to “provide an opportunity for meetings with OCC officials to discuss financial technology, new products or services, partnering with a bank or fintech company, or other matters related to financial innovation.”… Continue Reading