Collections news at your fingertips

Today, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) released a study of Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL) borrowers, finding that more than one-fifth of consumers with a credit record used BNPL loans in 2022, with most of those consumers having subprime or deep subprime credit scores. The CFPB research also revealed that more than three-fifths of BNPL borrowers held multiple simultaneous BNPL loans at some point during the year, and one-third had loans from multiple providers.

Today, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) proposed a rule that would stop financial companies from forcing Americans to choose between participating in the financial system or giving up their rights, including those guaranteed by the Constitution. The proposed rule seeks to stop companies from using a variety of contract clauses that limit fundamental freedoms, including waivers of substantive legal rights and fine print that suppresses speech.

This week, New York became the latest state to introduce legislation aimed at regulating Earned Wage Access (EWA) services. Assembly Bill 258 titled — “An Act to Amend the Banking Law, in Relation to Providing for Income Access Services in the State” — contains several significant provisions that, if passed, will significantly impact EWA providers in New York.

The National Credit Union Administration has issued guidance to federal credit unions regarding the consumer harm stemming from certain overdraft and non-sufficient funds (NSF) fee practices. The NCUA will continue to review credit union overdraft programs and will pay particular attention to overdraft fees for authorize positive and settle negative transactions and NSF fees for represented items, NCUA Chairman Todd Harper recently warned credit unions.

Today, the CFPB announced that it is seeking public input on strengthening privacy protections and preventing harmful surveillance in digital payments, particularly those offered through large technology platforms. The agency is requesting comment on implementing existing financial privacy law and how to address intrusive data collection and personalized pricing.