Consumer Finance Monitor

The CFPB Needs Reform, But Not More Regulatory Whiplash

The future of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB or Bureau) has rarely been more uncertain. Since its creation, the CFPB has been at the center of intense pol

Cantero II: Circuit Split and OCC Preemption Determination Set Up Likely Supreme Court Review

National bank preemption is headed toward another Supreme Court showdown. The Second Circuit has held that New York's mortgage escrow-interest requirement is preempted, d

When Consumer Protection Disclosures Work Too Well: New Podcast Explores the Distributional Costs of Effective Consumer Regulation

Disclosure has long been one of the principal tools of consumer protection. The basic premise seems straightforward: if consumers are given better information about the t

The "Confidence Advantage": Why Privacy, Cybersecurity and AI Governance Are Becoming Business Imperatives

In the latest episode of the Consumer Finance Monitor podcast that we are releasing today, we explore a topic that is becoming increasingly important for financial servic

CFPB's Immigration Status Guidance Creates a Compliance Catch-22 for Creditors

The CFPB's June 5, 2026 statement on "Ability to Repay and Immigration Status" presents creditors with a difficult, and potentially unprecedented, compliance dilemma. The

AI in Financial Services—Consumer Protection Challenges in the Age of Artificial Intelligence

In today's episode of the award-winning Consumer Finance Monitor Podcast, our host, Alan Kaplinsky (founder, chair for 25 years and now Senior Counsel of the Consumer Fin

New Institute for Consumer Financial Choice Seeks to Reshape the Consumer Finance Policy Debate

A newly launched academic institute is seeking to influence the future direction of consumer financial services regulation by promoting a policy framework centered on con

CFPB's Revised Section 1071 Rule: What Lenders Need to Know About the New Small Business Lending Reporting Requirements

In today's episode of the Consumer Finance Monitor Podcast, we are pleased to present an audio version of the webinar we conducted on May 27, 2026 examining the CFPB's re

Agentic Commerce Is Coming—Will the Legal System Be Ready?

Artificial intelligence is rapidly evolving from a tool that assists human decision-making into technology capable of acting independently. The next frontier, often refer

Risk-Based AML/CFT Reform: What Financial Institutions Need to Know About the Joint Banking Agency and FinCEN Proposals

The latest episode of the Consumer Finance Monitor podcast examines a significant and coordinated regulatory initiative that could reshape anti-money laundering and count

Cutting Out the Middleman: Why Fintechs, Crypto Firms, and Payments Companies Are Seeking Their Own Bank Charters - Part 2

At a May 19, 2026 Ballard Spahr webinar, "Cutting Out the Middleman: The Surge in FinTech Applications to Charter Banks, Industrial Banks and National Trust Companies," a

Cutting Out the Middleman: Why Fintechs, Crypto Firms, and Payments Companies Are Seeking Their Own Bank Charters - Part 1

At a May 19, 2026 Ballard Spahr webinar, "Cutting Out the Middleman: The Surge in FinTech Applications to Charter Banks, Industrial Banks and National Trust Companies," a

Coerced Debt: New York's Landmark Law and Emerging Trends Nationwide - Part 2

On May 12, 2026, we produced a 90-minute webinar in which we explored one of the most important and rapidly developing issues in consumer financial services law: coerced

Coerced Debt: New York's Landmark Law and Emerging Trends Nationwide - Part 1

On May 12, 2026, we produced a 90-minute webinar in which we explored one of the most important and rapidly developing issues in consumer financial services law: coerced

Fireside Chat with Simon Taylor and Adam Maarec

In this episode, Adam Maarec sits down with fintech thought leader Simon Taylor for a lively fireside chat focused on the rapidly evolving world of fintech, payments, and

Consumer Protection, Democracy, and the CFPB: A Thought-Provoking Debate with Amelia O'Rourke-Owens

On a recent episode of the Consumer Finance Monitor Podcast, Alan Kaplinsky, host of the podcast, had the opportunity to interview Amelia O'Rourke-Owens, a legal scholar

AI Liability Comes Into Focus: A Conversation with Mark Geistfeld on the ALI's Civil Liability Principles Project

Artificial intelligence is rapidly transforming consumer financial services and countless other industries. As AI systems become more autonomous, adaptive, and deeply int

CFPB Finalizes Sweeping ECOA Rule Changes: What Lenders Need to Know About Disparate Impact, Discouragement, and SPCPs

Today's episode of the Consumer Finance Monitor Podcast features a wide-ranging and timely discussion about one of the most consequential fair lending developments in yea

White House Executive Order on Scams and Fraud Takes Center Stage

Today, we released a new episode of the award-winning Consumer Finance Monitor Podcast examining one of the most significant recent federal developments in the fight agai

Debt Sales 101 Mini-Series — Episode 6: After the Close: Compliance, Oversight, and Ongoing Risk

In the final episode of our Debt Sales 101 mini-series, we focus on what happens after a debt sale closes and how sellers manage ongoing compliance, oversight, and risk.