In petitions gathered by AFR and five allied organizations, more than 78,000 consumers urge the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau to take swift action against the use of forced arbitration clauses in financial services and products. The CFPB is empowered by the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act of 2010 to ban or limit this anti-consumer device in products under its jurisdiction.
“The lead agency for investor protection isn’t a natural target for the party’s liberal wing… But half of all Americans own some form of stock… More important, the securities industry has insinuated itself into more of American life. Individuals and small business increasingly get loans through the capital markets; our 401(k) plans are based on publicly traded investments… ‘We marketized our retirement system, we marketized our banking system, and the SEC is the main securities regulator,’ said Marcus Stanley, policy director for the coalition Americans for Financial Reform.”
“On behalf of Americans for Financial Reform, we are writing to express our opposition to two amendments being offered to the Financial Services and General Government Appropriations bill… The first would bar the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) from issuing any rule or regulation related to payday lending until it has completed at least four new and unnecessary studies and reporting requirements… The second amendment would similarly delay and obstruct CFPB efforts to write a rule to eliminate forced arbitration in consumer financial contracts, action that the Dodd-Frank Act authorizes the Bureau to take. “
“As organizations that want to see protections for retirement savers strengthened, we write to express support for the Department of Labor’s proposed rule — now out for public comment — that would close loopholes and update the standards for retirement investment advice under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA).”
“On behalf of the undersigned organizations, we are writing to express our opposition to the Financial Services and General Government appropriations bill. Key elements of this bill would undermine the capacity of financial regulators to protect consumers and oversee our financial markets. By removing independent funding for the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), this legislation would subject the CFPB to limitations placed on no other banking regulator…This appropriations bill would also significantly underfund the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) by denying over $200 million in funding necessary to provide proper oversight of investment professionals and securities markets.”
“This week the Capital Markets and Government Sponsored Enterprises Subcommittee has scheduled a hearing at which it will consider legislation (H.R. 2187) that would dramatically expand the categories of individuals who are permitted to invest in private offerings issued under Regulation D of the securities laws. We are writing on behalf of the Consumer Federation of America (CFA) and Americans for Financial Reform (AFR) to express our strong opposition to the legislation as currently drafted.”
“We are writing regarding the upcoming vacancies at the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). We believe that it is of utmost importance that you nominate candidates with a strong and demonstrated commitment to protecting investors and to moving ahead with needed reforms in our financial markets.”
In a new report, Americans for Financial Reform looks at what the 113th Congress did in 2013-2014 to advance or impede the cause of stronger regulation of the financial industry. AFR’s report, Where They Stand on Financial Reform (view or download PDF here), tracks a
AFR and consumer organizations sent materials to members of Congress regarding the hearing, “Examining Legislative Proposals to Preserve Consumer Choice and Financial Independence” in the House Financial Services Committee. The materials urge opposition to nine pieces of legislation that would be harmful to consumers and investors.
“We, the undersigned national advocacy organizations representing consumers across America, very much appreciate the Chairman’s proposed Declaratory Ruling rejecting most of the requests by industry to undermine the essential protections of the Telephone Consumer Protection Act. “