team, Author at Americans for Financial Reform

In the News: Why is Trump’s Consumer Protection Agency Helping to Promote H&R Block’s Credit Card? (LA Times)

“Financial education isn’t going to stop a company from misapplying your mortgage payment or the wrongful repossession of a car,” observes Linda Jun, a senior policy counsel at Americans for Financial Reform. “The financial crisis wasn’t about people suddenly forgetting how to save. That was a very minor aspect of what happened. There were these bad actors that preyed on people with deceptive fees and unfair practices and discrimination. The point of having a financial regulator that protects consumers is to bring these shady behaviors to an end.”

In the News: Elizabeth Warren’s Latest Wall Street Enemy: Private Equity (Vox)

“Private equity and hedge funds now wield enormous influence over the American economy, often with terrible consequences for workers and communities,” said Lisa Donner, executive director of Americans for Financial Reform, one of the groups backing the bill, in a statement.

In the News: Eugene Scalia, Trump’s Pick to Head the Labor Department, Scares Worker Advocates to Death (CBS News)

“He was at the center of the industry effort to undo Dodd-Frank in the back rooms, and in terms of intimidating regulators and overturning important parts of it, he had a lot of success,” recalled Marcus Stanley, policy director of Americans for Financial Reform, a group that supports the law.
“Most of the rules that were costing industry a lot of money, he was the lead on trying to overturn them,” Stanley added.

Stop Wall Street Looting Act Would Curb Worst Private Equity Abuses

“Private equity and hedge funds now wield enormous influence over the American economy, often with terrible consequences for workers and communities,” said Lisa Donner, executive director of Americans for Financial Reform. “We need effective rules of the road to stop predatory practices by these Wall Street giants.”

Advisory: Briefing for Media on Stop Wall Street Looting Act at 3pm ET

Briefing on Stop Wall Street Looting Act of 2019 will be at 3pm ET. To join call RSVP to Kyra Sadovi, kyra@ourfinancialsecurity.org and dial (800) 230-1096 and ask for “Private Equity Legislation” conference call.

News Release: Public Interest Groups Support Bill to Address Private Equity Abuses

Over 15 major public interest groups have signed on to support the Stop Wall Street Looting Act of 2019, which was introduced today in the House and Senate.

Legislation: Summary and Analysis of Stop Wall Street Looting Act

The Stop Wall Street Looting Act would curb the worst abuses of Wall Street private equity executives by making them liable for damage they cause, protecting the interests of workers, preventing looting of target companies, and improving transparency for investors.

In the News: Consumer Watchdog Wants to Work With Financial Companies to Encourage Saving

Consumer advocates criticized Ms. Kraninger’s invitation to financial companies. “Americans don’t need the main federal consumer protection agency partnering with the financial services industry to conduct studies,” said Linda Jun, senior policy counsel at Americans for Financial Reform. “Americans need a strong CFPB that actually polices the industry from doing harm.”

Letters to Congress: Statement to House Financial Services Committee on Facebook Libra Proposal

The AFR Education Fund sent a statement for the record to the House Financial Services Committee concerning Facebook’s proposal for the Libra digital token and payment system. The statement describes ways in which Facebook is attempting to create an unregulated financial product of potentially global scale and the dangers this would pose to the users of the token and the broader financial system.

Letter to Regulators: Letter to Federal Reserve on Bank Ownership and Control

AFR wrote a letter to the Federal Reserve Board on a proposal that would liberalize the criteria the Board uses to determine control of a bank. The definition of “control” is critical as it determines whether entities with ownership and influence over banks will be designated as bank holding companies and subject to the appropriate regulation.