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.

In the letter, Mr. Cleaver expressed concern that “some FinTech lenders may be trapping small business owners in cycles of debt or charging higher rates to entrepreneurs of color.”  He noted that he is “particularly interested in payday loans for small businesses, also known as ‘merchant cash advance.'”  He observed that “current law does not provide certain protections for small business loans, compared to other consumer laws,” and cited Truth in Lending disclosures given to consumers as an example of such difference.  He also observed that fintech lenders are not subject to the same level of scrutiny as small community banks and credit unions which are subject to supervision for compliance with anti-discrimination laws.

The questions set forth in Mr. Cleaver’s letter include inquiries about a lender’s small business products and originations, approach to protecting borrowers belonging to protected classes, percentage of “loan and advances [that] are originated to borrowers of color [and] [w]omen,” “the typical rate charged to borrowers of color as compared to [the lender’s] overall borrower population,” typical fee schedule for small business lending products, and use of mandatory arbitration agreements.  In his announcement about the letter, Mr. Cleaver listed the lenders to whom his letter was sent.  We understand that most of such lenders do not make small business loans.

This past March, Mr. Cleaver sent a letter to the CFPB in which he asked the agency to investigate whether fintech companies were complying with anti-discrimination laws, including the Equal Credit Opportunity Act.  Mr. Cleaver also asked the CFPB to respond to a series of questions that included when the CFPB anticipated finalizing regulations to implement Dodd-Frank Section 1071.  Section 1071 amended the ECOA to require financial institutions to collect and maintain certain data in connection with credit applications made by women- or minority-owned businesses and small businesses. The Financial CHOICE Act passed this month by the House includes a repeal of Section 1071 and the Treasury report issued this month recommended that Section 1071 be repealed.