“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.”
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.
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.
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.
“Credit reports and credit scores play a critical role in the economic lives of Americans. They are the gatekeeper for affordable credit, insurance, rental housing, and sometimes unfortunately even a job. Yet they suffer from unacceptable rates of inaccuracy. This package would enact a sea change that would make the American credit reporting system more accurate and fairer to consumers.”
“The money that is being siphoned off from earnings to increase executive bonuses doesn’t just make wealthy insiders wealthier,” said Heather Slavkin Corzo, senior fellow at Americans for Financial Reform. “It is money that could have been used to invest in making the business more competitive and pay workers living wages.”
Today, Americans for Financial Reform joined a coalition of national consumer and civil rights groups in writing to top banking regulators on the importance of preventing banks from once again issuing payday loans that trap people in a cycle of debt.
Today, the SEC finalized a rule that will allow financial professionals to claim they are required to act in investors’ best interests. But “Regulation Best Interest” falls far short of what ordinary investors need to ensure they don’t fall prey to self-interested advice.
On Wednesday, Senator Sanders (I-VT) and Representative Lee (D-CA) introduced the Inclusive Prosperity Act, a bill that would impose a sales tax of 50 cents, 10 cents, and 1/2 a cent per $100 on each trade of stock, bonds and derivatives respectively.
Americans for Financial Reform Education Fund, as part of a coalition of civil rights, consumer, and labor groups, submitted an official comment letter to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau excoriating CFPB Director Kathy Kraninger’s proposal to gut a 2017 rule that was issued to stop payday loan debt traps. The coalition’s comment letter, submitted on the last day of the comment period, is a comprehensive rebuttal to Kraninger’s rationales for rolling back consumer protections on payday loans.