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☆ Medical Debt Shows Up Less Often on Credit Reports
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-03 | by ( Ann Carrns | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Rohit Chopra, the bureau’s director, said in a statement that “further reforms” were needed to scour medical debt from credit histories. The bureau is considering a rule to ban medical debt from consumer credit files. The bureau estimated in a 2022 report that well over half the debt that appeared on credit reports as being in collection was medical debt. People can incur medical bills unexpectedly, and many think that their health insurance will cover the costs. And the consumer bureau previously found that medical collection debt reported to the credit bureaus was “plagued by inaccuracies.”

Persons: —, TransUnion —, Rohit Chopra Organizations: Consumer Financial

☆ CFPB Director Rohit Chopra responds to lawsuit against $8 credit card late fee cap
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-11 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailCFPB Director Rohit Chopra responds to lawsuit against $8 credit card late fee capConsumer Financial Protection Bureau Director Rohit Chopra joins 'The Exchange' to discuss the status of the $8 late fee cap for credit cards amid lawsuits, efforts to make mortgage closing costs more affordable, and more.

Persons: Rohit Chopra Organizations: Financial

☆ As late, missed payments rise, credit card borrowers face 'consequences' for falling behind, CFPB says
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-06 | by ( Jessica Dickler | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

watch nowThe consequences of missed credit card paymentsThe CFPB found that late fees are often layered on top of other punitive measures credit card companies impose on consumers who miss payments, including negative credit reporting, which can hurt their credit rating. "When consumers don't make required payments, they can face a long list of consequences. More consumers are falling behindCollectively, consumers are having a harder time managing debt amid high interest rates and higher prices. Not only are more cardholders carrying debt from month to month but more are also falling behind on payments, recent reports also show. Credit card delinquency rates surged in 2023, the Federal Reserve Bank of New York found.

Persons: Rohit Chopra, — Organizations: Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, Federal Reserve Bank of New, New York Fed Locations: Federal Reserve Bank of New York

☆ Credit card late fees capped at $8 as part of Biden administration crackdown on junk fees
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-05 | by ( Matt Egan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —Federal regulators finalized a rule on Tuesday to cap most credit card late fees at $8 as part of a broader push by the Biden administration to eliminate junk fees. The new rule applies to large credit card issuers – those with more than 1 million accounts. These companies represent more than 95% of total outstanding credit card debt, according to the CFPB. It also comes as Americans continue to pile on credit card debt, which recently exceeded a record $1.1 trillion. Some borrowers, especially Millennials and those with lower incomes, have been falling behind on their credit card debt following more than two years of high inflation.

Persons: Biden, ”, Rohit Chopra, “, Greg Baer, Joe Biden, “ It’s, Chuck Bell Organizations: CNN, Consumer Financial, White, Bank Policy Institute, Council, Consumer

☆ New CFPB rule caps banks' credit card late fees at $8
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-05 | by ( Hugh Son | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau unveiled a new rule on Tuesday that it said would cap late fees that banks charge customers at $8 per incident. By cutting late fees to $8 from an average of around $32, more than 45 million card users would save an average of $220 annually, the CFPB said in a release. Regulations tied to that law granted issuers the ability to charge ever-increasing amounts of late fees. "For over a decade, credit card giants have been exploiting a loophole to harvest billions of dollars in junk fees from American consumers," CFPB Director Rohit Chopra said in the release. "Today's rule ends the era of big credit card companies hiding behind the excuse of inflation when they hike fees on borrowers and boost their own bottom lines."

Persons: Rohit Chopra Organizations: Banking, Housing, Urban Affairs Committee, Consumer Financial, Bureau

☆ New Federal Rule Caps Most Credit Card Late Fees at $8
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-05 | by ( Stacy Cowley | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Millions of Americans could soon see lower credit card bills after a federal rule that caps late fees at $8 a month was finalized on Tuesday by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, which estimates that the change will save households $10 billion a year. Late fees have become a major profit source for credit card issuers, generating more than $14 billion in 2022, according to bureau data. A 2010 rule imposed by the Federal Reserve aimed to cap the charges, but allowed adjustments for inflation — a provision card issues have used to raise their fees far beyond the actual costs they incur when payments arrive late, the bureau said. That allowed credit card companies to “harvest billions of dollars in junk fees from American consumers,” said Rohit Chopra, the bureau’s director. It applies only to large issuers that have more than one million open accounts, but the agency estimates that the rule will cover 95 percent of outstanding credit card balances.

Persons: ”, Rohit Chopra, “ Organizations: Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, Federal Reserve

☆ Credit card late fees will soon be capped at $8—why you should aim to pay on time anyway
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-05 | by ( Cheyenne Devon | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

The days of double digit late fees for late credit card payments may be coming to an end. On Tuesday, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau finalized a rule that will cap credit card late fees at $8. For the past decade, consumers have faced increasing credit card late fees with the average cost of a late payment rising from $23 at the end 2010 to $32 in 2022, according to the CFPB. However, the agency says many larger credit card issuers hiked those late fees each year without proving why the increase was necessary. I don't think $8 is enough of a deterrent [against making late payments]," he tells CNBC Make It.

Persons: Rohit Chopra, Ted Rossman Organizations: Consumer Financial, Federal, CNBC, American Bankers Association

☆ CFPB Director on credit card report: Many consumers would be better off with newer entrants
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-16 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailCFPB Director on credit card report: Many consumers would be better off with newer entrantsConsumer Financial Protection Bureau Director Rohit Chopra joins 'Squawk Box' to discuss the state of consumer borrowing, why large banks are charging higher credit card rates than smaller banks and credit unions, steps consumers can take to cut back on credit card fees, and more.

Persons: Rohit Chopra Organizations: Consumer Financial

☆ Credit card users can save over $400 a year by switching issuers, CFPB says
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-16 | by ( Greg Iacurci | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Olga Rolenko | Moment | Getty ImagesCard balances and total debt at are all-time highsThe agency's findings come as average credit card balances and total credit card debt hit all-time highs at the end of 2023. The average credit card interest rate for all accountholders was more than 21% in November, also a record, according to Federal Reserve data. The federal agency's analysis defines large lenders as the nation's 25 biggest, and small lenders as all others in its sample. Credit scores didn't impact findingsThe CFPB's new interest-rate findings are consistent regardless of a consumer's credit score, it said. Why interest rates may not matter for some usersThe CFPB report doesn't necessarily offer a complete picture of the credit card market, Rossman said.

Persons: Olga Rolenko, spokespeople, Lindsey Johnson, CFPB, Ted Rossman, Rossman, cardholders, Bankrate, Rohit Chopra Organizations: Federal Reserve, Consumer Bankers Association, American Bankers Association, —

NEW YORK (AP) — The Biden administration proposed banning another type of bank “junk fee” on Wednesday, targeting fees that are typically charged by banks when a transaction is declined in real time. It's the second major proposal by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau over fees that Americans sometimes run into when they bank, following the bureau's announcement that it plans to reduce overdraft fees to as little as $3. The CFPB used the example of a customer trying to buy $100 in groceries with $90 in their bank account, and the transaction is declined at checkout. When this happens, banks can charge a fee when a customer attempts to withdraw or debit their account more than their available funds. Biden has made the elimination of “junk fees” one of the cornerstones of his administration’s economic agenda heading into the 2024 election.

Persons: —, Biden, “, Banks, ”, Rohit Chopra, Joe Biden, Chopra Organizations: Consumer Financial

☆ The Biden administration wants to save Americans $3.5 billion a year by making sure banks aren't profiting too much off of overdraft fees
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-17 | by ( Juliana Kaplan | Ayelet Sheffey | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Trying to buy something without enough money in your checking account can lead to a hefty surprise overdraft fee . If the Biden administration gets its way, those fees, which produce major profits for banks, could soon shrink substantially. Consumers are hit with overdraft fees when they withdraw more money from their accounts than what they have in it. Overdraft fees often come as a surprise for consumers, and many may have had credit available to cover a purchase without going into the red on their checking accounts. "These overdraft loans will simply have to play by the rules."

Persons: Biden, Rohit Chopra, Chopra, Louis Organizations: Service, Consumer Financial, Bureau, Federal Reserve Bank of St, Federal Trade Commission

☆ Consumer watchdog agency proposes limits on overdraft fees at big banks and credit unions
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-17 | by ( Jeanne Sahadi | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

New York CNN —The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau on Wednesday said it is proposing a rule that would curb excessive overdraft fees charged to customers of large banks and credit unions, potentially saving consumers as much as $3.5 billion a year. Too often, the consumer watchdog agency has noted, bank customers are surprised by overdraft fees and those who can least afford them are charged the most frequently. Annual overdraft fee revenue in 2019 was an estimated $12.6 billion,” CFPB said. Today, big banks have made many modifications to their overdraft practices, effectively lowering their overdraft revenue to roughly $9 billion a year. The CFPB rule would lower that amount further by requiring big banks and credit unions to be as forthcoming about the terms of extending an overdraft loan as they are for other lending products.

Persons: ”, Rohit Chopra, CFPB, ” CFPB Organizations: New, New York CNN, Consumer Financial, Biden Administration Locations: New York, United States

According to research conducted by Bankrate last August, the average overdraft fee was $26.61. The CFPB has signaled for months that it planned to curtail the collection of overdraft fees, with regulators making statements and the bureau putting out research that shows overdraft fees overwhelmingly impact the poor and households of color, who often overdraft multiple times a year. The rules spare small banks and credit unions, some of which rely disproportionately on overdraft fees. Overdraft fees have been a financial bonanza for the banking industry, with the CFPB estimating that banks collected $280 billion in overdraft fees in the last 20 years. While overdraft fees have fallen in recent years, a Bankrate survey found that 91% of bank accounts still can charge overdraft fees.

Persons: Biden, Banks, Overdraft, Joe Biden, Bankrate, ”, Rohit Chopra, rebuff, Charles Schwab Organizations: White, Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, Truist, Bank of America, Associated Press, Charles, Charles Schwab Foundation, Inc, AP

NEW YORK (AP) — The squabble over billion of dollars in overdraft fees that Americans get charged every year is intensifying. While banks have drastically cut back on overdraft fees in the past decade, the nation's biggest banks still take in roughly $8 billion in overdraft fees every year, according to data from the CFPB and bank public records. Political Cartoons View All 253 ImagesBanks charge a customer an overdraft fee if their bank account balance falls below zero. What started off as a courtesy offered to some customers, the popularity of debit cards beginning in the 1990s led to Americans wracking up tens of billions of dollars in overdraft fees. While big banks have cut back on overdraft fees, smaller banks have not, and a number of them heavily rely on overdrafts to be profitable, industry analysts said.

Persons: Biden, “ It's, Joe Biden, “, Greg McBride, ”, Aaron Klein, ” Klein, Rohit Chopra, ” Chopra, Chopra, Barack Obama, Carter Dougherty, overdrafts, can’t Organizations: Consumer Financial, Biden Administration, Federal Trade Commission, Bank of America, Banking, Bankrate, Brookings Institution, Armed Forces Bank, Republican, Trump Administration, American Bankers Association, Financial Reform

☆ Federal agency: Student loan company errors could 'pose serious risks' to borrowers, the economy
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-05 | by ( Annie Nova | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Rohit Chopra, director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, speaks during a Senate Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee hearing in Washington, D.C., Dec. 15, 2022. When student loan servicers make errors by cutting corners or sidestepping the law, it can "pose serious risks to individuals and the economy," said Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Director Rohit Chopra. Borrowers experienced long phone hold times with their servicers, significant delays in the processing of their repayment applications, and inaccurate and untimely billing statements, the bureau found. The U.S. Department of Education announced Friday that it would withhold payments to three student loan servicers as part of its efforts to hold the companies accountable. "Today's actions make clear that the Biden-Harris Administration will not give student loan servicers a free pass for poor performance and missteps that jeopardize borrowers," Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona said in a statement.

Persons: Rohit Chopra, servicers, Mark Kantrowitz, Harris, Education Miguel Cardona Organizations: Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, Banking, Housing, Urban Affairs Committee, Washington , D.C, Financial, U.S . Department of Education, Finance, Biden, Harris Administration, Education Locations: Washington ,, EdFinancial, Nelnet

☆ U.S. Bank fined $36 million for freezing unemployment debit cards during Covid-19 pandemic
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-19 | by ( Chelsey Cox | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency imposed an additional $15 million penalty on the bank over the same practices. The fifth-largest commercial bank in the country, U.S. Bank administered prepaid debit cards to distribute unemployment insurance benefits through its ReliaCard program. Between March 2020 and July 2021, states issued $794 billion in combined state and federal unemployment benefits. The $15 million OCC portion of the fine was related to alleged unfair practices under the Federal Trade Commission Act. Under a consent order, U.S. Bank will provide $5.7 million in redress to consumers and pay a $15 million civil money penalty.

Persons: WASHINGTON, Rohit Chopra, Cheryl Leamon, Leamon, Chopra Organizations: Consumer Financial, U.S, Bank, U.S . Bank, CNBC, Federal Trade Commission, Consumers, OCC, U.S . Treasury Locations: U.S, cardholders, Minneapolis , Minnesota

☆ Bank of America fined $12 million for mortgage disclosure violations by federal watchdog
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-28 | by ( Chelsey Cox | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

A man walks past an ATM outside Bank of America Corp. headquarters in Charlotte, North Carolina, May 2, 2016. WASHINGTON — The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau on Tuesday fined Bank of America $12 million for reporting false mortgage lending data to the federal government. "Bank of America violated a federal law that thousands of mortgage lenders have routinely followed for decades," CFPB director Rohit Chopra said in a statement. According to a CFPB consent order, Bank of America violated part of the 1975 Home Mortgage Disclosure Act (HMDA) that requires lenders to accurately report demographic data about mortgage applications to financial regulators. The firm also employed over 4,500 loan officers, and averaged over 300,000 mortgage loan applications per year between January 2016 and the present day, the CFPB said.

Persons: Rohit Chopra, —, Biden, Bill Halldin, Halldin Organizations: Bank of America Corp, WASHINGTON, Consumer Financial, Bank of America, of America, Justice Department Locations: Charlotte , North Carolina

☆ Bank of America pays $12 mln fine for misreporting mortgage data
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-28 | by ( Jonathan Stempel | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

A Bank of America logo is pictured in the Manhattan borough of New York City, New York, U.S., January 30, 2019. Bank of America did not admit or deny wrongdoing in accepting the civil fine, which covered alleged conduct between 2016 and 2021. "We will be taking additional steps to ensure that Bank of America stops breaking the law," CFPB Director Rohit Chopra said in a statement, without elaborating. It also said it has improved training to ensure that employees ask mortgage applicants for the data. According to its latest quarterly report, Bank of America's consumer lending business originated $15.5 billion of first mortgages between January and September, down 61% from a year earlier when interest rates were lower.

Persons: Carlo Allegri, Rohit Chopra, Jonathan Stempel, Aurora Ellis Organizations: of America, REUTERS, Bank of America, U.S, Consumer Financial, Bank of, Thomson Locations: Manhattan, New York City , New York, U.S, Charlotte , North Carolina, New York

☆ A group of student-loan borrowers are getting $30 million in debt relief after a tech boot camp offered them 'illegal' payment plans, a federal watchdog says
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-20 | by ( Ayelet Sheffey | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

A group of student-loan borrowers who attended boot camp Prehired are getting $30 million in debt relief. The CFPB sued Prehired over the summer, accusing it of offering "illegal" income-share agreements. NEW LOOK Sign up to get the inside scoop on today’s biggest stories in markets, tech, and business — delivered daily. AdvertisementMore student-debt relief is on the way for a group of borrowers who attended a tech boot camp. "Today's action with our state partners ensures that borrowers harmed by Prehired can receive redress and have their illegal loans canceled."

Persons: Prehired, —, Rohit Chopra Organizations: Service, Consumer Financial, Delaware's Justice Department

☆ Toyota financing arm fined $60 million by consumer watchdog for car loan scam
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-20 | by ( Chelsey Cox | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

WASHINGTON — The U.S. financing arm for Toyota was fined $60 million Monday by a federal consumer regulator for preventing car buyers from canceling add-ons to their loans. "Toyota's lending arm illegally withheld refunds, made borrowers run through obstacle courses to cancel unwanted services, and tarnished their credit reports," said Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Director Rohit Chopra. Toyota Motor Credit Corp., or TMCC, violated the Consumer Financial Protection Act by preventing customers from canceling loan add-ons that cost on average between $700 and $2,500 per loan, according to a consent order. TMCC is ordered to pay $48 million in consumer redress and a $12 million civil money penalty to the CFPB's victims relief fund. "Given the growing burdens of auto loan payments on Americans, we will continue to pursue large auto lenders that cheat their customers," Chopra said.

Persons: WASHINGTON, Rohit Chopra, Chopra, Vincent Bray Organizations: Toyota, Financial, Toyota Motor Credit Corp, Consumer Financial, Bureau, Toyota Financial Services, CNBC Locations: The U.S

U.S. oversight of Big Tech financial services is fragmented. The CFPB rule would toughen up supervision, requiring Big Tech to comply with its rules on privacy protections, executives' conduct and unfair and deceptive practices. Without regulatory scrutiny, they could leverage their growing dominance of consumer payments to capture other services like lending and card issuing, analysts said. 'LEG UP'Representatives for Big Tech have accused the CFPB of trying to protect traditional lenders. While Big Tech companies have deep pockets and plenty of resources to handle the new scrutiny, the rule could limit how they use and protect consumer data.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, Rohit Chopra, Todd Phillips, Dodd, Frank, It's, Paige Pidano Paridon, Chopra, John Coleman, Hannah Lang, Stephen Nellis, Michelle Price, Richard Chang Organizations: Apple, REUTERS, Wall, Big Tech, Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, Google, Georgia State University, PayPal, Federal, McKinsey, Bank, BPI, Banks, Representatives, Big, Herrington, Thomson Locations: U.S, Washington

☆ The head of the FTC says she used ChatGPT to successfully contest a medical bill
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-15 | by ( Kylie Kirschner | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

FTC Chair Lina Khan said she's successfully used ChatGPT to contest a medical bill. AdvertisementThe head of the Federal Trade Commission recently shared that she's successfully used ChatGPT to contest a medical bill. Doctors have used ChatGPT to help communicate with patients more compassionately, with some using ChatGPT just 72 hours after it was released to the public. And plenty of Americans encounter stress while navigating situations involving their medical bills, not just the chair of the FTC. "When it comes to medical bills, Americans are often caught in a doom loop between their medical provider and insurance company," CFPB Director Rohit Chopra said in a statement last year.

Persons: Lina Khan, she's, Khan, —, Khan didn't, Rohit Chopra Organizations: Service, Federal Trade Commission, Big Tech, New York Times, FTC, Consumer Financial

☆ Venmo’s newest feature helps users track, manage and settle group expenses
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-14 | by ( Jennifer Korn | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

The new Venmo Groups feature gives users the ability to track and split ongoing group expenses, making it easier to figure out who owes who what. A group can have up to 30 members, letting both couples keep track of groceries and large soccer teams organize group fees. Venmo’s newest feature, Venmo Groups, helps users track, manage and settle group expenses. Courtesy PayPalVenmo Groups is the company’s response to smaller apps like SplitWise and SettleUp, existing options for those looking to do exactly what Venmo Groups now offers. Instead, users can opt to connect their Venmo or PayPal accounts with Splitwise, creating an extra step that Venmo Groups eliminates.

Persons: CNN — Venmo, Venmo, Erika Sanchez, ”, SplitWise, Splitwise, “, Rohit Chopra, CNN’s Chris Isidore Organizations: CNN, Groups, PayPal, Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, Big Tech

REUTERS/Chris Helgren Acquire Licensing RightsNEW YORK, Nov 8 (Reuters) - Citigroup Inc (C.N) has agreed to pay $25.9 million to settle U.S. Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) charges it intentionally discriminated against credit card applicants who the bank identified as Armenian-American based on their last names. The CFPB also said bank employees lied to applicants by giving them fake reasons for denials, and were instructed not to discuss the discrimination in writing or over the phone. According to a consent order, some employees referred to card applicants they suspected were of Armenian descent as "Armenian bad guys" or the "Southern California Armenian Mafia." The payment includes a $24.5 million civil fine and $1.4 million of restitution to card applicants, for violations of the federal Equal Credit Opportunity Act. Citigroup apologized, saying it had been trying to thwart an Armenian fraud ring in California but that a "small number" of employees circumvented its fraud detection protocols.

Persons: Chris Helgren, Rohit Chopra, Chopra, Biden, Jonathan Stempel, Tatiana Bautzer, Douglas Gillison, Chizu Nomiyama, Mark Potter Organizations: Citigroup Inc, Citi, REUTERS, Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, Citigroup, Southern California Armenian Mafia, Credit, Act, Thomson Locations: Toronto , Ontario, Canada, Glendale , California, Armenia, United States, Southern California, California, York, New York, Washington

NEW YORK (AP) — Citigroup intentionally discriminated against Armenian Americans when they applied for credit cards, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau said Wednesday. The bureau said some bank employees argued internally that Armenian Americans were more likely to commit fraud and referred to applicants as “bad guys” or as affiliated with organized crime. As part of the order, Citi will pay $24.5 million in fines as well as $1.4 million in remedies to impacted customers. However, in the bureau's order, these Citi employees used identifiable information that broadly discriminated against Armenian Americans in general. The bank has been fined or cited several times by the CFPB, as well as by the Federal Reserve, for unsound business practices.

Persons: —, “, ”, Rohit Chopra, Jane Fraser, Fraser, ” Chopra Organizations: — Citigroup, Consumer Financial, Citi, Armenian, ”, “ Citi, Home, American Airlines, Federal Reserve Locations: Glendale , California, Southern California, New York, California

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