team, Author at Americans for Financial Reform

In The News: Private Equity Blasts Antitrust Agencies’ Efforts to Slow Mergers (The Wall Street Journal)

Americans for Financial Reform, a coalition of groups that advocates for tougher financial regulation, said that private-equity roll-ups of small companies have serious anticompetitive effects and need to be reined in. “The private-equity industry has become the primary driver of consolidation and merger activity in the United States and the predatory practices and economic extraction of private-equity firms from their portfolio acquisitions present unique risks to a competitive economy,” the group said in a Sept. 18 letter to the FTC and Justice Department.

Media Advisory: Press Briefing with Legal Experts to Review CFPB v. CFSA SCOTUS Oral Arguments

Washington, D.C. – On Oct. 3, at 12 pm ET (Time subject to change per end of arguments), Americans for Financial Reform (AFR) will host a virtual press briefing to review the oral arguments in one of this term’s most important Supreme Court cases concerning the stability of the American financial system and the future of consumer protection: CFPB v. CFSA, a constitutional challenge to the funding structure of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB).

Letters to the Regulators: Letter in Support of the FTC’s Proposed Rulemaking for Premerger Notification, Reporting, and Waiting Period Requirements

AFREF submitted a comment supporting the Federal Trade Commission’s proposed rule to require complex companies including private equity firms to disclose more information about their holdings and business lines when pursuing mergers and acquisitions.

Events: Elyse Hicks Discussed the Importance of a Strong CFPB at the Center for American Progress’ Event

Elyse Hicks Discussed the Importance of a Strong CFPB at the Center for American Progress’ Event We are thrilled to announce that last week, our Consumer Policy Analyst, Elyse Hicks was a panelist during the Center for American Progress (CAP) conversation on the importance of

News Release: Supreme Court Ruling Against CFPB Could Worsen Government Shutdowns

Washington, D.C. – A ruling by the Supreme Court against the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau could imperil the functioning of numerous critical federal agencies that are funded outside of the annual appropriations process, a step that would worsen future government shutdowns and possibly impede the operations of the judiciary, according to Americans for Financial Reform and the former Republican chair of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, Sheila Bair.

Letters to Congress: Letter in Support of the RECOUP Act

Americans for Financial Reform led a coalition letter to Majority Leader Schumer and Minority Leader McConnell urging them to pass S. 2190, the Recovering Executive Compensation from Unaccountable Practices (RECOUP) Act. This legislation would make it easier to hold executives accountable — and prevent the excessive risk-taking that leads to bank failures in the first place.

News Release: FTC Takes Action Against Private Equity-Driven Texas Anesthesiology Monopoly

Washington, D.C. – The Federal Trade Commission’s recent action against private equity abuse in the healthcare industry is an important step in protecting patients and fostering competition in anesthesiology practices.

News Release: How a SCOTUS Ruling on CFPB this Term Could Destabilize Financial Markets

The impending oral arguments before the Supreme Court in the CFPB v. CFSA on Tuesday, October 3, will implicate not only a narrow pay-day rule but potentially years of CFPB enforcement work. Today, Americans for Financial Reform Education Fund (AFREF) and the Constitutional Accountability Center (CAC) are sharing evidence of the wide range of CFPB rules and enforcement actions that could be affected by the Supreme Court’s decision.

News Release: Consumer Bureau Announces Groundbreaking Plan to Protect Americans from the Devastating Effects of Medical Debt

WASHINGTON – D.C. – Consumer advocates at the National Consumer Law Center (NCLC), Community Catalyst, Americans for Financial Reform, National Association of Consumer Advocates, RIP Medical Debt, U.S. PIRG, and Colorado Center on Law and Policy cheer today’s announcement that the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) is proposing a prohibition on the reporting of all medical debts on credit reports.

News Release: SEC Finalizes One of Two Important Anti-Greenwashing Rules

Washington, D.C. – The Securities and Exchange Commission’s decision to finalize its “Names Rules,” proposed last year, is an important step towards addressing rampant greenwashing and other deceptive and misleading practices by investment funds.