Americans for Financial Reform is a nonpartisan and nonprofit coalition of more than 200 civil rights, consumer, labor, business, investor, faith-based, and civic and community groups. Formed in the wake of the 2008 crisis, we are working to lay the foundation for a strong, stable, and ethical financial system – one that serves the economy and the nation as a whole. AFR has been called “the leading voice for Wall Street accountability” in Washington (by Zach Carter of the Huffington Post).

Our Vision: A world where the rules that govern the economy center human needs and help all families and communities to flourish. 

Our Mission: Fighting to eliminate inequity and systemic racism in the financial system in service of a just and sustainable economy.

Through policy analysis, education, and outreach to our members and others, AFR builds public will for substantial reform, including:

• Fair rules of the road for consumers and a strong, effective Consumer Financial Protection Bureau to set basic safety standards and protect families—and the market as a whole—from loans designed to trick and trap
• A banking system that helps people buy and stay in their homes and invests in communities and businesses to create good jobs and strong neighborhoods
• An end to the casino economy that allows Wall Street to make “heads we win, tails they lose” bets with our money
• An end to megabank bailouts and financial institutions that are “too big to fail”
• Executive compensation that rewards long-term value creation, not excessive risk-taking, with meaningful shareholder review
• A transparent and accountable Federal Reserve, independent of banking industry control
• Transparency for all financial products and markets
• Meaningful limits on the political influence of the financial sector, so that the job of rewriting the rules is not left to the inside players who caused the problems we now face

Americans for Financial Reform does not receive tax-deductible contributions. A separate project, Americans for Financial Reform Education Fund, pursues related goals through a range of nonpartisan advocacy activities, and does receive tax-deductible contributions. You can learn more about AFR’s Education Fund here.

AFR “did many things right…” It was an “adept inside player, pulling together and skillfully managing a broad and diverse alliance of Washington-based and state and local citizens’ organizations” winning “respect for its expertise on the full complement of complex financial and consumer protection issues that made up the legislative package. And the coalition was strategically adroit, matching political opportunities with the capabilities and resources at its disposal.” – Larry Kirsch and Robert H. Mayer, Financial Justice (Praeger Books, 2013)

Staff

Contact Us

Mailing Address
11 Dupont Circle NW, Suite 500
Washington, DC 20036

Phone
202-466-1885

Email
For general inquiries: info@ourfinancialsecurity.org
For media inquiries: Contact Carter Dougherty at carter@ourfinancialsecurity.org