On March 14, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit vacated the dismissal of a lawsuit alleging a failure to reasonably investigate a disputed debt.
The lawsuit concerned a consumer who disputed a debt that she...more
On May 27, the CFPB filed a notice of dismissal with prejudice in its lawsuit against a lease-to-own fintech provider. The lawsuit, filed in July 2023, alleged that the company’s rental-purchase agreements violated several...more
On May 1, Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro announced a new centralized consumer protection hotline, website, and email address, providing residents with streamlined access to state agencies for reporting scams, financial...more
On May 16, Vermont Governor Phil Scott signed into law S. 27, a medical debt relief measure that prohibits the inclusion of medical debt on consumer credit reports and establishes a state-funded initiative to abolish...more
5/30/2025
/ Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) ,
Consumer Protection Laws ,
Credit Reports ,
Debt Collection ,
Disclosure Requirements ,
Financial Institutions ,
Healthcare ,
Healthcare Facilities ,
Medical Debt ,
New Legislation ,
Nonprofits ,
Regulatory Reform ,
State and Local Government
On May 28, Maryland Governor Wes Moore signed House Bill 1294 into law, establishing a comprehensive regulatory framework for Earned Wage Access (EWA) providers operating in the state. Effective October 1, the new law...more
On May 15, the CFPB rescinded its May 2022 interpretive rule that had expanded state enforcement authority under Section 1042 of the Consumer Financial Protection Act (CFPA). The Bureau now maintains that the previous...more
On May 15, the CFPB withdrew three Biden-era rulemaking proposals, including a December 2024 proposal to regulate data brokers as consumer reporting agencies under the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA), a January proposal to...more
5/16/2025
/ Consumer Contracts ,
Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) ,
Consumer Protection Laws ,
Data Brokers ,
Digital Assets ,
Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) ,
Financial Regulatory Reform ,
Proposed Rules ,
Regulation E ,
Regulatory Reform ,
Technology
On April 30, 2025, the FTC filed an amended complaint and final order in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia against a debt collection company in connection with allegations that the company engaged...more
5/9/2025
/ Consent Order ,
Consumer Protection Laws ,
Cryptocurrency ,
Debt Collection ,
Enforcement Actions ,
FDCPA ,
Federal Trade Commission (FTC) ,
GLBA Privacy ,
Penalties ,
Settlement ,
UDAAP ,
Unfair or Deceptive Trade Practices
On May 6, Indiana Governor Mike Braun signed House Enrolled Act No. 1125 into law, making Indiana the latest state to enact a statutory framework for regulating earned wage access (EWA) products. The Indiana Earned Wage...more
On May 1, the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois ordered the former owner of a now-defunct debt-relief company to pay over $43 million in restitution and penalties. The order resolves a lawsuit filed...more
On April 18, the FDIC announced a consent order against a Delaware-based bank alleging that the bank engaged in unsafe and unsound banking practices and violated various federal consumer protection laws, including Section 5...more
On April 22, the Fourth Circuit declined to reconsider a panel ruling that found a credit union could not be held liable for a scam in which fraudsters diverted over $560,000 from a metal fabricator through unauthorized ACH...more
5/1/2025
/ Anti-Money Laundering ,
Appeals ,
Banking Sector ,
Banks ,
Consumer Protection Laws ,
Credit Unions ,
Financial Crimes ,
Fraud ,
Know Your Customers ,
Litigation Strategies ,
NACHA ,
Payment Systems ,
Regulation E ,
Regulatory Requirements
On April 23, the CFPB voluntarily dismissed with prejudice its lawsuit, filed in September 2024, against a Pennsylvania-based credit card company that had been accused of unlawfully marketing a high-cost, limited-use...more
On April 17, Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost announced that the state has filed a lawsuit against a wholesale mortgage lender, alleging that the company engaged in a statewide scheme to mislead borrowers and inflate mortgage...more
On April 14, New York Attorney General Letitia James announced two separate lawsuits against earned wage access providers—one against a company that issues advances directly to consumers, and another targeting a provider that...more
On April 8, a federal court granted the CFPB’s motion to withdraw from its joint enforcement action against a global money transmitter. The lawsuit, originally filed in April 2022 in partnership with the New York Attorney...more
Utah and Arkansas have enacted new legislation governing earned wage access (EWA) services, establishing state-level registration obligations and consumer protection standards. Both laws clarify that EWA services are not...more
On March 27, the FTC announced that a fintech company offering cash advances through a mobile app has agreed to pay $17 million to resolve allegations that it violated the FTC Act and the Restore Online Shoppers’ Confidence...more
3/31/2025
/ Consent ,
Consumer Protection Laws ,
Enforcement Actions ,
False Advertising ,
Federal Trade Commission (FTC) ,
FinTech ,
Mobile Apps ,
ROSCA ,
Settlement ,
Subscription Services ,
UDAAP ,
Unfair or Deceptive Trade Practices
The Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) has taken two significant deregulatory steps affecting its oversight of the government-sponsored enterprises, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac (GSEs). The agency rescinded a 2024 advisory...more
3/31/2025
/ Affordable Housing ,
Consumer Protection Laws ,
Deregulation ,
Fannie Mae ,
FHFA ,
Freddie Mac ,
Mortgages ,
Regulatory Oversight ,
Regulatory Reform ,
Special Purpose Credit Programs ,
UDAP
On January 17, the Pennsylvania Attorney General filed a civil enforcement action in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania against a group of mortgage brokers and their manager, alleging that they...more
In a March 10 blog post, the new Director of the FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection (BCP) reaffirmed the agency’s commitment to enforcing consumer protection laws through Civil Investigation Demands (CIDs).
A CID is a...more
In a March 10 blog post, the new Director of the FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection (BCP) reaffirmed the agency’s commitment to enforcing consumer protection laws through Civil Investigation Demands (CIDs)....more
On February 20, the Virginia General Assembly passed the High-Risk Artificial Intelligence Developer and Deployer Act. If signed into law, Virginia would become the second state, after Colorado, to enact comprehensive...more
3/24/2025
/ Artificial Intelligence ,
Compliance ,
Consumer Protection Laws ,
Enforcement ,
New Legislation ,
Regulatory Agenda ,
Regulatory Requirements ,
Risk Management ,
State Attorneys General ,
State Legislatures ,
Technology Sector
On March 13, New York Attorney General Letitia James announced the introduction of the Fostering Affordability and Integrity through Reasonable Business Practices Act (FAIR Business Practices Act). The proposed legislation...more
3/24/2025
/ Artificial Intelligence ,
Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) ,
Consumer Protection Laws ,
Debt Collection ,
Enforcement Actions ,
Federal Trade Commission (FTC) ,
Proposed Legislation ,
State Attorneys General ,
Student Loans ,
Technology Sector ,
Unfair or Deceptive Trade Practices
On March 4, the California DFPI finalized regulations under the Debt Collection Licensing Act (DCLA). The final regulations, which take effect July 1, 2025, clarify key licensing and reporting requirements....more
3/17/2025
/ California ,
Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) ,
Consumer Protection Laws ,
Debt Collection ,
Department of Financial Protection and Innovation (DFPI) ,
Final Rules ,
New Regulations ,
Regulatory Agenda ,
Regulatory Oversight ,
Regulatory Requirements ,
Reporting Requirements