Category Archives: In the News

Seattle Protests Criticize Big Bank Bonuses

This week’s bonus actions are making the airwaves.  Folks around the country are turning up to protest the huge bonuses going to top executives at the banks which sank our economy and are fighting hard against financial reform.  The story below from Fox News is

Diane Rehm: New Rules for Wall Street

AFR coalition member Travis Plunkett of the Consumer Federation of America and Professor Michael Greenberger discussed the Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act of 2009 on NPR today.  Listen here. The House takes up the biggest overhaul of laws covering banks and financial institutions

Bill Moyers Discussion on Financial Reform with AFR’s Heather Booth

The power of the people. Earlier this fall, the JOURNAL traveled to Chicago to check in with protestors outside the American Banking Association’s annual convention. This week, Bill Moyers spoke with veteran organizers Heather Booth, director of Americans for Financial Reform, and George Goehl, executive

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Accidental Hunt Brothers: $344 Million Buys A Lot Of Loopholes

Cross posted from The Accidental Hunt Brothers December 10, 2009 by Adam The world financial system nearly melted down in 2008. This was a result of the interlocking web of exposures between major financial institutions caused by the unregulated and completely opaque over-the-counter (OTC) derivatives

Press Updates on the Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act

Late on December 8, House leaders struck a deal with moderate Democrats to move forward on debating H.R. 4173, the Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act. They also determined which amendments will be deemed in order.  Here are updates on some of the amendments

NPR: Bill Exempts Auto Dealers From Agency Oversight

NPR’s Morning Edition ran this story about the exemption for auto dealers in the Consumer Financial Protection Agency (CFPA). AFR opposes this exemption, and belives auto dealers should be overseen by the CFPA. (The CFPA would be created by H.R. 4173, the Wall Street Reform

Indy Star: Put Hoosiers’ Welfare Before Big Banks

The Indianapolis Star ran this op-ed today by David Arkush and Ronetta Spalding about the need to create a strong Consumer Financial Protection Agency (CFPA).  Here is an excerpt: Who’s going to bail out Hoosiers? In September 2008, Lehman Brothers collapsed in New York, sending

It’s Not Such a Wonderful Life…

BanksterUSA.org has made the clever video below using everyone’s favorite holiday movie, “It’s a Wonderful Life,” to remind us of the woes facing many families this holiday season. In the midst of so much foreclosure, debt, and job loss, whose side are your representatives in

The New Republic: Could Wall Street Actually Lose in Congress?

The New Republic published this article detailing how Members of Congress have shifted their thinking on derivatives – and for once, the shift benefits Main Street rather than Wall Street.  The article cites pressure from Americans for Financial Reform as one of the reasons for