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Spy Sheikhs, and Secret Deals, and Crypto Scandals Oh My!
Now, the drumbeat of Trump’s self-dealing is practically a corruption drumroll. In the latest exposé of the First Family using their clout to boost their personal wealth, the Wall Street Journal detailed how Sheikh Tahnoon bin Zayed Al Nahyan of…
Events
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AFREF Speaker Series: Are We on the Brink of a 2008-Style Financial Crisis?
We appear to be in the midst of a speculative stock market bubble centered on AI. Does that mean we are about to have a 2008-style financial crisis? Join us for a conversation with Damon Silvers about the moment we are in and the steps that regulators should take to guard against the risk of a catastrophic financial crisis. Mr. Silvers was the Deputy Chair of the Congressional Oversight Panel for the 2008 bank bailout and for many years directed financial markets policy at the AFL-CIO. He brings to bear his experiences with the 2008 crisis as well as the…
The Latest from AFR
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FIRE SALES TO WALL STREET: A Review of Government-Sponsored Residential Note Sales
Growing Wall Street control of single family homes is a contributor to our housing crisis, with mega single-family investors (those who own more than 1,000 homes nationwide) controlling an estimated 446,000 homes as of January 2025. Nationally, the presence of corporate landlords in a community has been associated with raised rents, junk fees, reduced maintenance,
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AFR in the News
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Economic Policy Institute: Trump is pushing to include risky assets like crypto and private equity in 401(k)s
A recent overview published by the American Federation of Teachers, Americans for Financial Reform Education Fund, and the American Association of University Professors examined this question closely and cast doubt on the value of alternative investments for pension funds, especially when adjusting for risk and illiquidity.
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Bank Policy Institute: Do Mortgage Escrow Interest Requirements Benefit Consumers?
The groups represented include America’s Credit Unions, Americans for Financial Reform, Bank Policy Institute, Center for Responsible Lending, Consumer Federation of America, Independent Community Bankers of America, National Consumer Law Center (on behalf of its low-income clients), National Community Reinvestment Coalition and U.S. PIRG.
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Senator Whitehouse: Whitehouse, Warren, Merkley, Reed Introduce Bill to Empower States to Protect Americans from High Credit Card Interest Rates
“This legislation paves the way for states to step up and protect people from sky-high credit card interest rates,” said Tom Feltner, Associate Director of Consumer Policy at Americans for Financial Reform. “States have a critical consumer financial protection role to play that has only become more vital since the administration has attempted to shutter…
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Oligarchs Take Over Corporations
Elon Musk and other billionaire oligarchs have triggered a race to the bottom in state corporate law, with Delaware, Texas, and Nevada changing their laws to strengthen the power of corporate insiders while decreasing the power of regular shareholders to provide input and hold management accountable for corporate misconduct.
