Americans for Financial Reform

Monopoly Man Crashes Equifax Hearing to Protest Forced Arbitration

Americans for Financial Reform and Public Citizen fought the attack on the Consumer Bureau’s rule to limit forced arbitration and class action bans by delivering mock “Get-Out-of-Jail-Free” cards to the Senate.

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In addition, Amanda Werner appeared at Wednesday morning’s U.S. Senate Banking Committee hearing on Equifax dressed as the billionaire Monopoly Man, and sat behind former CEO of Equifax Richard Smith as he gave testimony to the Senate Banking Committee.

Joint Letters: Key Consumer, Labor, and Financial Reform Groups Push Regulators to Revoke Wells Fargo’s Charter and Deposit Insurance

“Courts and multiple agencies have found – and Wells Fargo has admitted – that the bank has repeatedly ‘violat[ed] laws or regulations.’ In addition, Wells Fargo’s prudential regulator, the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC), has found the bank’s violations constitute ‘unsafe or unsound practices.’ By statute, either of these criteria is sufficient grounds for termination of a bank’s deposit insurance.”

AFR Statement: “Monopoly Man” Highlights Equifax, Wells Fargo Use of Forced Arbitration

Americans for Financial Reform and Public Citizen are defending limits on forced arbitration from congressional attack with a delivery all 100 U.S. Senate offices: a mock “Get-Out-of-Jail-Free” card for the banks inspired by the board game Monopoly. An activist dressed as the billionaire Monopoly Man led the delivery.

Public Testimony: Alexis Goldstein calls on ED Department to Reinstate MOUs with the CFPB

Today at a public hearing at the Department of Education, AFR’s senior policy analyst gave testimony about the need to reinstate the Memorandum of Understanding with the CFPB, ended by Secretary DeVos to widespread criticism.

Joint Letter: AFR and 16 groups urge “firm and assertive” action to guard consumers against credit-bureau abuses

“We write to express our grave concerns over [Equifax’s] slow response to the
breach and then its shifting, maddening, and ultimately inadequate response to consumers including
our members, clients and other constituencies. We write with several recommendations for what
Congress should and should not do in response.”

AFR Statement: Regulators were wrong to remove AIG from list of systemically important financial companies

“The financial crisis demonstrated that purely state-level oversight cannot fully address the potential systemic risks of our largest insurance companies. It was an ill-considered and reckless decision to remove AIG’s designation as a systemically significant financial institution.”

Joint Letter: Consumer Groups Applaud CFPB Review of Overdraft Fees, Oppose Senate Move Against Forced Arbitration Rule

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s review of unfair and abusive overdraft practices is complemented by its recent efforts to limit the use of forced arbitration, said five consumer groups in a joint letter sent today to Director Richard Cordray. U.S. Senate leadership is pushing for a vote this week on a Congressional Review Act (CRA) resolution to repeal a CFPB rule that restores consumers’ right to join together in court against banks and lenders.

TOWS Statement: Republican Leadership and Trump unveil plan to cut taxes for the 1%

On Wednesday, Republican Congressional leaders and the Administration released their tax framework. “This ‘plan’ amounts to a package of tax cuts for Wall Street and the 1%” …

AFR in the News: Under cover of Graham-Cassidy, Senate GOP moving to gut major CFPB rule (Intercept)

“[E]xecutives for both Wells Fargo and Equifax… will testify in Senate committees next week. Both companies have used arbitration clauses in an attempt to deny consumers access to the courts… ‘This rush toward a vote in the Senate is a cynical attempt to roll back an important consumer protection before anyone gets straight answers from Equifax and Wells Fargo about the damage they’ve done to the financial lives of millions of Americans,’ said Lisa Donner, executive director of Americans for Financial Reform.”

AFR Statement: Stop Senate Rush to Roll Back Protection from Forced Arbitration

This rush toward a vote in the Senate is a cynical attempt to roll back an important consumer protection before anyone gets straight answers from Equifax and Wells Fargo about the damage they’ve done to the financial lives of millions of Americans.