Following a year of new DOJ policies and guidance designed to incentivize companies to self-report misconduct and to cooperate with government investigations, the DOJ has added a new pilot whistleblower rewards program.  In their remarks at the American Bar Association’s 39th Annual National Institute on White Collar Crime, Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco and Acting Assistant Attorney General Nicole Argentieri both explained that the new whistleblower policy is designed to incentivize individuals to disclose corporate misconduct through financial rewards from any resulting forfeiture of criminal proceeds. … Continue Reading

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (“CFPB”) filed an opposition brief (the “Opposition”) on Tuesday in response to a request by plaintiff trade groups to enjoin the CFPB’s final credit card late fee rule (the “Final Rule”) during the pendency of a lawsuit seeking to invalidate the Final Rule. In the Opposition, the CFPB argues that plaintiffs are unlikely to succeed on the merits, and that the Final Rule is consistent with the CARD Act’s mandate that late fees be “reasonable and proportional” to the late payment.… Continue Reading

On January 17, 2024, the U.S. Supreme Court heard oral argument in two cases in which the question presented is whether the Court should overrule its 1984 decision in Chevron, U.S.A., Inc. v. Nat. Res. Def. Council, Inc.  That decision produced what became known as the “Chevron judicial deference framework”–the two-step analysis that courts typically invoke when reviewing a federal agency’s interpretation of a statute. … Continue Reading

As previously reported, bills were introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives (H.R. 7297) and U.S. Senate (S. 3502) to amend the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) to curtail the practice of trigger leads with mortgage loans. Recently, a diverse group sent a letter to the Chairs and Ranking Members of the House Committee on Financial Services and the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing & Urban Affairs expressing support for the bills.… Continue Reading

Just two days after the CFPB issued its final credit card late fee rule (Rule) last week, a lawsuit was filed in a Texas federal district court seeking to invalidate the Rule.  The plaintiffs in the lawsuit are the Chamber of Commerce of the United States of America, Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce, Longview Chamber of Commerce, American Bankers Association, Consumer Bankers Association, and Texas Association of Business. … Continue Reading

The CFPB recently published a notice in the Federal Register indicating that it is seeking approval from the Office of Management and Budget for two new surveys intended to identify factors that influence a consumer’s decision to file a complaint with the CFPB.  Comments must be received on or before May 6, 2024.… Continue Reading

On March 5, 2024, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (“CFPB”) issued its final credit card late fee rule (the “Final Rule”). The timing for publication of the final rule was widely perceived as coordinated with the President’s State of the Union address, and in his March 7, 2024 address, President Joe Biden did briefly mention the Final Rule, citing the reduction of credit card late fees to $8 and adding “I’m saving American families $20 billion a year with all the junk fees I’m eliminating.”… Continue Reading

As previously reported, in November 2022 the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) issued a proposal to update its rules for interest rate reduction refinancing loans (often referred to as “IRRRLs”) to conform with VA loan refinance provisions in the Economic Growth, Regulatory Relief, and Consumer Protection Act, which was enacted in 2018, and the Protecting Affordable Mortgages for Veterans Act of 2019.… Continue Reading

The plaintiffs and intervenors in the lawsuit filed in a Texas federal district court challenging the CFPB’s final small business lending rule implementing Section 1071 of Dodd-Frank (Rule) have filed a consolidated motion for summary judgment.  The plaintiffs in the lawsuit are the Texas Bankers Association, Rio Bank, McAllen, Texas, and the American Bankers Association. … Continue Reading

On January 17, 2024, the U.S. Supreme Court heard oral argument in two cases in which the question presented is whether the Court should overrule its 1984 decision in Chevron, U.S.A., Inc. v. Nat. Res. Def. Council, Inc.  That decision produced what became known as the “Chevron judicial deference framework”–the two-step analysis that courts typically invoke when reviewing a federal agency’s interpretation of a statute. … Continue Reading