Credit Cards – Page 2 – Consumer Financial Services Watch

CFPB Targets Pre-Dispute Arbitration Agreements in Consumer Financial Services Contracts in New Report to Congress

Mar 16 2015

By: Andrew C. Glass, Robert W. Sparkes, Roger L. Smerage

In the wake of the Great Recession, numerous federal government actors have sought to limit, and in some cases, eliminate, the inclusion of pre-dispute arbitration agreements in consumer financial services contracts. For instance, in 2010, as part of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (the “Dodd-Frank Act”), Congress amended the federal Truth-in-Lending Act to prohibit the use of pre-dispute arbitration provisions in residential mortgage contracts and home-equity line-of-credit agreements. See 15 U.S.C. § 1639c(e)(1). Now, acting pursuant to a mandate provided by the Dodd-Frank Act, see 12 U.S.C. § 5518(a), the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (“CFPB”) has joined the hunt. On March 9, 2015, the CFPB issued a report to Congress that appears to put the use of such agreements in all consumer financial services agreements – including credit card, checking account, and payday loan agreements – in the agency’s cross-hairs.

Class Certification Trends in Consumer Data Breach Litigation—Individualized Damages Theories May Preclude Certification

Dec 16 2014

By: Nicholas Ranjan and James P. Angelo

In the last two years, there has been a proliferation of class action lawsuits filed in response to high-profile data breaches compromising the personally identifiable information of customers of various companies. Major corporations including Target, Coca-Cola, and Michaels have all fallen victim to such suits. In many cases, a single data breach event has spawned dozens of class action lawsuits (for example, Target, at one point, faced over 100 such suits in a number of jurisdictions, which have since been consolidated in an MDL).

Although a number of class actions in the data-breach context have been filed, there have been relatively few class certification decisions at this point. However, as the pending cases make their way to the class certification stage, two recent decisions may prove useful for defendants in attempting to defeat class certification—principally, on the basis of Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 23(b)(3)’s “predominance” requirement. That is, In re Hannaford Bros. Co. Customer Data Sec. Breach Litig., 293 F.R.D. 21 (D. Me. 2013) and Comcast v. Behrend, 133 S.Ct. 1426 (2013), suggest that class certification may be difficult in certain types of data breach cases due to the existence of individualized damages issues, which may undercut the predominance of common questions necessary to pursue a class action.

To read the full alert, click here.

Credit Card Repayment Ability Fix Issued by CFPB

May 08 2013

By: David A. Tallman , Eric Mitzenmacher

Financial life just got a little bit easier for stay-at-home moms and dads. For over a year and a half, regulations originally promulgated by the Federal Reserve (and reissued by the CFPB) have restricted credit access for “spouses and partners who do not work outside the home,” based on an interpretation of the Credit Card Accountability, Responsibility, and Disclosure Act (the “CARD Act”) that required a creditor to consider a card applicant’s “independent” ability to repay any credit extended. On May 3, the CFPB finalized amendments to Regulation Z that loosen the credit card underwriting standards, allowing consumers over age 21 to qualify based on any income to which they have a “reasonable expectation of access.” By acknowledging that the practical aspects of interfamily relationships may sometimes support a determination that a consumer has an ability to repay even when the consumer may not have a formal legal right to the underlying income or assets, the Bureau acquiesced to the requests of a broad-based coalition of politicians, consumer groups, and credit card issuers to remove an artificial barrier to the ability of stay-at-home spouses and partners to obtain and build credit.

Massachusetts Attorney General Issues Guidance on Debt Collection Regulations

Feb 21 2013

By: Nanci L. Weissgold , Sean P. Mahoney , Gregory N. Blase

On January 24, 2013, the Massachusetts Office of the Attorney General (“AG”) issued guidance to the industry interpreting its debt collection regulations (“Regulations”) that became effective March 2, 2012. The AG took this unusual step as it recognized that the Regulations raise unique compliance issues for servicers of consumer debt. The AG promulgated the Regulations pursuant to the rulemaking authority conferred by the Massachusetts Consumer Protection Act (“Chapter 93A”), “to establish standards, by defining unfair or deceptive acts or practices, for the collection of debts from persons within the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.” 940 C.M.R. 7.01. Although there is no private right of action, a violation may, nevertheless, constitute “an unfair or deceptive act or practice under Chapter 93A.”

FDIC Issues a Quick Guide for Consumers on Credit, Debit, and Prepaid Cards

Mar 08 2012

By: Andrew L. Caplan*
*Mr. Caplan is admitted to practice in NY (not admitted in DC); supervised by Nanci Weissgold, a member of the DC bar

As Gertrude Stein once wrote, “a rose is a rose is a rose.” However, as indicated in a recent Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (“FDIC”) consumer guide, a card is not a card is not a card.

On March 5, 2012, the FDIC issued A Quick Guide for Consumers on Credit, Debit, and Prepaid Cards (“the Guide”) to help consumers appreciate the differences among credit cards, debit cards, and prepaid cards. As indicated in a recent FDIC press release, “[t]he guide is intended to help consumers who routinely use cards to pay for goods and services but who don’t always understand the differences in how these cards work or the applicable consumer protections.”

CFPB Puts Inherited Consumer Financial Protection Regulations on the Table

Dec 23 2011

By: David A. Tallman

Adding to its already full plate, the Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection (the “CFPB” or the “Bureau”) recently requested public comment on its review of the various consumer financial protection regulations it has inherited from other agencies. The request signals that the Bureau does not intend for its higher-profile mortgage finance initiatives to overshadow its mandate to update, modify (or even eliminate) outdated, unduly burdensome, or unnecessary existing regulations. It also suggests that the CFPB is contemplating that its initial review of the inherited regulations may extend beyond mere technical corrections to more significant substantive changes.

CFPB Proposes to Disclose Credit Card Complaint Data to the Public

Dec 01 2011

By: Stephanie C. Robinson

It is no secret that the CFPB is taking great interest in consumers’ complaints about credit cards. From day one, a “submit a credit card complaint” icon has held a prominent position on the agency’s home page, and CFPB representatives have talked about how credit card offers and terms are sometimes too complicated for consumers to understand.

CFPB to Host Town Hall in Minneapolis on October 26

Oct 24 2011

By: Rebecca Lobenherz

The CFPB, which has regularly reached out to consumers online through its blog posts and its consumer complaint portal, is also seeking consumer input the old-fashioned way – in person. On October 26, Raj Date, Special Advisor to the Secretary of the Treasury for the CFPB, who previously spoke with consumers in Philadelphia, will be headed to Minneapolis, Minnesota to discuss the Bureau’s upcoming initiatives directly with consumers. The Bureau has plans on holding more events aimed at consumers throughout the country in the upcoming months.

Catagory:Credit Cards