The Consumer Finance Podcast

Please join Troutman Pepper Partners Chris Willis and Kim Phan for an in-depth discussion about the Securities and Exchange Commission's (SEC's) recent record retention enforcement actions. Chris and Kim explore the uptick in enforcement actions over the last year, the claims made in these cases, the SEC-imposed requirements and penalties on these companies, what we can expect going forward from the financial services regulators, and what financial institutions should do now to get ahead of these types of enforcement actions.Privacy + Cyber Partner Kim Phan focuses her practice on providing guidance to clients on regulatory compliance matters, including supervisory and enforcement interactions with the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), and other federal regulatory agencies, including the SEC. She has successfully represented multiple national companies through the FTC investigatory process, resulting in "no-action" letters. She has counseled a national consumer reporting agency through its CFPB compliance obligations, including conducting risk assessments of consumer products and services, updating policies and procedures, and establishing an audit process to assess compliance with federal consumer financial laws. Kim also has advised clients through state attorneys general and departments of consumer protection investigations. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Please join Troutman Pepper Partner Chris Willis and his colleagues Alan Wingfield, James Kim, and Taylor Gess for the first installment of a special two-part series about the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's (CFPB) recent policy statement on abusiveness. In Part 1 the panel discusses the background of the policy statement, the definition of abusiveness, when it exists and when it doesn't, and practical considerations for compliance.Stay tuned for Part 2 of this special series on the abusiveness statement for a deeper dive into some specific examples cited in the policy statement, as well as lessons learned about what constitutes abusiveness and what doesn't from the CFPB's perspective.CFS Partner Alan Wingfield focuses his practice on financial services litigation and consumer law compliance counseling. He helps businesses with the myriad federal and state consumer protection laws, as well as laws regulating financial services and other types of consumer-facing companies. Alan regularly represents businesses in class-action and individual consumer litigation in many national venues, particularly with the "alphabet soup" of consumer protection statutes, including Section 5 of the Federal Trade Commission Act; Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act's (Dodd-Frank) Unfair, Deceptive, or Abusive Acts and Practices (UDAAP) regulation; and state equivalents of the Unfair and Deceptive Act and Practices Act (UDAP).CFS Partner James Kim leads the firm's fintech industry group. He advises fintechs, banks, investors, and other clients on federal and state consumer financial laws and regulations, including UDAAP. He helps clients navigate examinations and investigations with the CFPB, Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC), Federal Reserve Board, Federal Trade Commission (FTC), and various state agencies. As a former CFPB senior enforcement attorney, James provides the industry knowledge and expertise that fintechs and financial institutions require when launching new products or facing regulatory scrutiny.CFS Associate Taylor Gess provides regulatory advice on matters related to federal and state consumer protection, consumer finance, and payments laws, including those that apply to payment cards, lines of credit, installment loans, electronic payments, online banking, buy-now-pay-later transactions, retail installment contracts, rental-purchase transactions, and small business loans. Taylor represents a broad spectrum of clients, such as fintech companies, banks, payment card issuers, retail merchants, online lending platforms, and solar and home improvement finance companies. In addition to handling matters on various consumer protection statutes, she also advises on issues related to payment network rules, electronic contracting, telemarketing, UDAAP, and military lending, while also helping clients develop compliance management systems, review marketing materials, and structure new products. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Please join Troutman Pepper Partner Chris Willis and his colleagues Lori Sommerfield, Addison Morgan, and Josh McBeain for the first installment of a special three-part series about the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s (CFPB) new small business lending data collection and reporting final rule — the Section 1071 rule. Part 1 of this special series provides a general overview of the rule, including:What the rule is designed to do;The definition of a small business for the purpose of this rule;What types of small business lenders are covered;Covered and excluded credit transactions as defined by the rule;The three types of data required to be collected;Anti-discouragement provisions of the rule;Data collection and reporting requirements and what the CFPB intends to do with the collected data;Safe harbor provisions within the rule; andThe differences between the proposed rule and the final rule.Stay tuned for Part 2 of this special series that takes a deeper dive into the rule’s data collection requirements and anti-discouragement provisions.CFS Partner Lori Sommerfield brings more than two decades of experience in representing a wide range of banks, financial institutions, and financial services companies in fair lending and responsible banking regulatory compliance. She has extensive experience in helping clients navigate fair lending examinations and supervisory issues, and she has successfully represented clients in high-stakes fair lending regulatory investigations and enforcement actions. Prior to joining the firm, Lori held significant legal positions in federal government, in-house, and private practice settings (including two other nationally known law firms), which she leverages to effectively represent her clients’ interests.CFS Associate Addison Morgan represents several of the nation’s preeminent financial institutions in litigation arising under the Fair Credit Reporting Act, Telephone Consumer Protection Act, Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, Federal Trade Commission Holder Rule, and other consumer protection state analogs. In addition to his litigation practice, Addison also provides regulatory compliance assistance to a wide array of companies across the financial services industry.CFS Associate Josh McBeain focuses his practice on federal and state consumer and business lending and payments laws, including those applying to credit cards, installment loans, lines of credit, point-of-sale finance, and the development of digital financial service products. Before joining the firm, Josh served as in-house counsel to a major financial institution where he advised on an array of regulatory, legal, and compliance issues. He also worked at the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis for several years, where he examined banks for compliance with consumer and business laws. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Please join Troutman Pepper Partner Chris Willis and his colleagues Jonathan Floyd and Meagan Mihalko as they discuss recent trends in Article III standing in the federal courts. The trio examine why this is a big deal in consumer litigation, whether courts consistently apply recent Supreme Court decisions with one another, and what considerations and implications defendants should consider when deciding whether or not to remove a case from state to federal court.Consumer Financial Services Associate Jonathan Floyd focuses his practice on financial services litigation, representing clients in class actions and business disputes in both federal and state courts. Jonathan helps businesses navigate and litigate the myriad consumer and financial services laws, particularly with the many "alphabet soup" federal consumer protection statutes, such as the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA), Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA), and Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA). Jonathan's experience also covers a variety of state consumer protection laws, and he regularly litigates actions arising under the West Virginia Consumer Credit Protection Act (WVCCPA) and New York General Business Law Section 349.Consumer Financial Services Associate Meagan Mihalko's national practice includes defending both class-action and individual matters involving federal consumer protection statutes like the FCRA, the FDCPA, and the TCPA. Meagan represents financial services clients, including banks, consumer reporting agencies, background screening companies, debt buyers, and debt collectors, in individual and class-action litigation throughout the U.S. Meagan has successfully obtained summary judgment for clients in both class actions and individual cases, and she has litigated cases in federal courts across the U.S. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Please join Troutman Pepper Partner Chris Willis and his fellow Partner Julie Hoffmeister as they discuss the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's (CFPB) recent request for information about data brokers and the potential interplay with the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA). During this episode, they expand on the CFPB's potential FCRA rulemaking regarding data brokers, the CFPB's intent to monitor data brokers and its desire to have greater oversight on the data broker industry, and the steps that the CFPB may take in response to the request for information.As part of the firm's Privacy + Cyber Practice Group, Julie focuses her practice on defending consumer-facing companies of all types in individual and class actions, including claims under the FCRA and other federal and state law-related privacy claims. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Please join Troutman Pepper Partner Chris Willis and his colleague Vin Thomas as they discuss what it's like to be a general counsel of a financial services company, based on Vin's long experience as a financial services general counsel. During this episode, they examine various types of challenging work a general counsel faces, including managing regulatory and compliance matters; the nuances of working for public and private companies handling deals, such as mergers and acquisitions; initial public offerings; and navigating a myriad of litigation matters.As part of the firm's Consumer Financial Services Practice Group, Vin Thomas provides corporate and regulatory advice to clients, bringing substantial experience in public and private company representation. Vin focuses his practice on regulatory risks posed by state and federal laws aimed at protecting consumers with credit, deposit, and payments products. Having served as general counsel for multiple companies in the financial sector for 15+ years, Vin is acutely aware of the unique legal, regulatory, and compliance demands facing in-house legal departments across the industry. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Please join Troutman Pepper Partner Chris Willis and his colleagues Caleb Rosenberg and Josh McBeain as they discuss a string of recent developments in small business financing at both the state and federal level, including the CFPB's small business data collection rule and the regulations under state disclosure laws.Caleb Rosenberg focuses his practice on helping small business finance companies, banks, fintech companies, and licensed lenders navigate regulatory risks posed by state and federal laws. He has experience performing regulatory due diligence on financial technology companies and assisting clients in responding to regulatory inquiries.Josh McBeain focuses on federal and state consumer and business lending and payments laws, while also counseling clients on state and federal laws applicable to the development of digital financial service products. To help advance his clients goals, Josh leverages his previous experience as in-house counsel to a major financial institution and while working at the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Please join Troutman Pepper Partner Chris Willis for a solo episode as he discusses new trends in CFPB information gathering, specifically Dodd-Frank Act Section 1022 found in the rulemaking and market monitoring section of the CFPB’s authority. Here, Chris examines how the CFPB can request and require certain information from market participants, noting the significant increase in recent CFPB Section 1022 requests, while also discussing industry implications of this emerging trend. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Most consumers have signed up for subscriptions, automatic deliveries, or free trials that convert into a paid subscription. In this episode of The Crypto Exchange, Carlin McCrory welcomes colleagues Mark Furletti and Jill Dolan to discuss legal and regulatory developments related to autorenewals — the recurring payments for these subscriptions. Our panel examines state and federal laws pertaining to negative option offers, including Section 5 of the FTC Act; recent actions by state attorneys general on autorenewal and cancellation policies; and how companies can ensure compliance with relevant requirements. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Please join Troutman Pepper Partner Chris Willis and his colleague Consumer Financial Services Partner Lori Sommerfield as they discuss the implications of the recent Illinois federal court decision, dismissing the CFPB's first-ever redlining case against Townstone Financial, Inc., which alleged that Townstone engaged in redlining practices by discouraging applications under the Equal Credit Opportunity Act (ECOA) through its marketing approach. The court found that ECOA does not extend to prospective applicants.A seasoned consumer financial services attorney, Lori Sommerfield brings more than two decades of experience in federal government, in-house, and private practice settings. She leverages her deep expertise in fair lending and responsible banking regulatory compliance when routinely counseling clients in consumer financial services supervisory issues, examinations, investigations, and enforcement actions. Lori also comes highly experienced in advising clients on compliance with Title III of the ADA on accessibility of physical spaces and digital platforms. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.