Americans for Financial Reform

News Category: Press Releases & Statements

MEMO: Senate Hearing Today on Proposed Kroger-Albertsons Merger

Today, the Senate will hold a hearing on the proposed acquisition of grocery chain Albertsons by Kroger, the nation’s largest standalone grocery retailer. Sens. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minnesota) and Mike Lee (R-Utah), both skeptics of the merger, will preside over the hearing.

News Release: Department of Labor to Allow Retirement Plans to Consider Sustainability, Jobs, Equity, and Worker Rights

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The U.S. Department of Labor’s final rule takes an important step to safeguard the savings of millions of workers who participate in private-sector employee benefit plans by allowing workers’ private retirement plans and pensions to consider sustainability factors like climate change, workers’ rights, racial, economic and environmental justice, and corporate governance when investing and voting proxies.

News Release: Collapse of Major Crypto Exchange FTX Is a Reminder of Crypto’s Instability

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE November 8, 2022 CONTACT: Carter Dougherty carter@ourfinancialsecurity.org (202) 251-6700 Collapse of Major Crypto Exchange FTX Is a Reminder of Crypto’s Instability Consumer Advocacy Groups Urge Regulators to Step Up Scrutiny; Warn Congress to Avoid Watered-Down Policy Responses Washington, DC – Today’s announcement by crypto exchange FTX that it has signed an agreement

News Release: 5th Circuit Court of Appeal’s Decision on CFPB Funding is an Outrageous Undermining of Consumers’ Rights

On Wednesday, October 19, 2022, a three-judge panel in the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals agreed with the payday lenders trade association in ruling that the CFPB’s funding structure is unconstitutional because it does not go through Congressional appropriations. This line of attack toward the CFPB – via its funding – has nothing to do with actually caring about the constitution and everything to do with the big banks and predatory lenders trying to escape the oversight and enforcement actions of an agency focusing on protecting and defending consumers.