May 2017 - Americans for Financial Reform

AFR in the News: Buried deep within GOP bill: ‘free pass’ for payday and car-title lenders (LA Times)

“According to the advocacy group Americans for Financial Reform, payday and title lenders spent more than $15 million on campaign contributions during the 2014 election cycle. The top recipient, with nearly $224,000 in donations from the industry, was the National Republican Congressional Committee. The largest individual recipient, with $210,500 in payday and title loan cash, was — you guessed it — Hensarling.”

AFR in the News: Valdez: Hate predatory loans? Tell Congress to keep its mitts off this agency (Arizona Republic)

“The [Hensarling] bill ‘would make it easier for Wall Street megabanks – plus other mortgage lenders, payday lenders, credit card companies and debt collectors . . . to make windfall profits by cheating people or putting the stability of the financial system at risk.’ That’s… from an email blast [the National Consumer Law Center] sent out in conjunction with Americans for Financial Reform.”

AFR in the News: This case could have a huge impact on the future of a key consumer watchdog (Washington Post)

“When the CFPB was created in 2010 under the Dodd Frank Act, the appointment of an independent director was meant to help shield the agency from lobbying forces and powerful groups on Wall Street, says Brian Simmonds Marshall, policy counsel for Americans for Financial Reform…”

AFR in the News: Buried in Trump’s Budget, Another Attempt to Kill CFPB (Money Magazine)

“‘Without exception, the proposals we’ve seen to de-fund or restructure the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau are about making it less effective at doing its job,’ says Carter Dougherty, spokesman for Americans for Financial Reform… ‘All these proposed changes to the CFPB would do is make it easier for Wall Street and assorted predatory lenders to rip people off.'”

AFR Statement: Budget Takes Aim at CFPB and Student Loan Holders

“Without exception, the proposals we’ve seen to de-fund or restructure the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau are about making it less effective at doing its job,” said Brian Marshall, policy counsel at AFR. “The agency has won relief worth $12 billion for 29 million Americans since it started work. All these proposed changes to the CFPB would do is make it easier for Wall Street and assorted predatory lenders to rip people off.”

Joint Statement: Another Step Forward for Retirement Savers

From a statement by the Save our Retirement Coalition: “Retirement savers need an enforceable fiduciary standard and a Department of Labor that is prepared to hold firms accountable for compliance. Until the full complement of rule requirements takes effect, their hard earned savings will continue to be at risk as a result of conflicted advice from financial professionals who put their own financial interests ahead of their customers’ best interests. Yesterday’s decision was an important step forward, but there is still a long road ahead.”

Joint Letter: Open Letter to Acosta Urging Strong Fiduciary Rule Without Delay

In the face of supporting evidence described above, in addition to harming retirement savers, the Department would be exposing itself to significant legal risk to change course and further delay the Rule now.

AFR in the News: Trump to propose scrapping beleaguered student loan forgiveness program (MarketWatch)

“Alexis Goldstein, a senior policy analyst at Americans for Financial Reform… described the idea of eliminating the program as ‘horrifying,’ noting that… borrowers are struggling to manage their student debt, pushing them to put off home-buying and other financial milestones. Eliminating a forgiveness program would only make that worse, she said. ‘It seems both ill-conceived from a policy perspective and just cruel.’”

AFR Letter: Oppose the Regulatory Accountability Act

Throwing up elaborate procedural hurdles isn’t a recipe for to good government. It’s a deliberate plan for increasing the control that Wall Street’s lobbyists have over government decision-making at the expense of the public interest.

Letter to Congress: Americans for Financial Reform opposes five bills before HSGAC

“…These bills would further complicate, confuse, and delay the regulatory process; further advantage regulated industries over the public interest; and make it impossible for regulators to act effectively against Wall Street recklessness and abuse of consumers.”