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Weekly Fintech Focus

  • In response to pandemic challenges, card networks agree to delay merchant fee hikes that would have taken place next month.
  • E-commerce activities continue to grow and are projected to reach $1 trillion in revenue by next year.
  • The BIS publishes a paper urging a global rethink on how to regulate big tech companies engaged in financial services to address systemic risk.
  • Fintech trade groups launch to address issues like financial inclusion and regulatory approaches to fintech engagement in the financial services industry.
  • Regulators issue the first enforcement action directly referencing a bank’s role in serving marijuana-related business customers.

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Continue Reading Fintech Week in Review: Week of March 19, 2021

Weekly Fintech Focus

  • The UK published a report calling for the urgent regulation of BNPL products.
  • The OCC postponed publication of the Fair Access to Financial Services rule.
  • The Acting Director of the CFPB is putting a renewed emphasis on issues of racial equity with a push to enforce fair lending violations.
  • The new administration will take a fresh look at the recently finalized FHA disparate impact rule.
  • The Federal Reserve announced that its FedNow RTP service will be launched sooner than expected.

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Continue Reading Fintech Week in Review: Week of February 5, 2021

Weekly Fintech Focus

  • FDIC issues an updated brokered deposit rule, creating new exceptions relevant to fintechs working with bank partners.
  • FDIC issues a final rule clarifying its expectations for ILC charter applications.
  • CFPB issues an advisory opinion on Special Purpose Credit Programs to clarify how creditors can offer these programs to disadvantaged groups.
  • CFPB grants access to its compliance assistance sandbox to an earned wage access company, which meets the CFPB’s recent guidance on such programs.
  • PayPal wins the first round in its efforts to throw out aspects of the CFPB’s prepaid rule, resulting in a court throwing out certain mandatory disclosures and the 30-day waiting period for digital wallets.
  • New York enacts second-in-nation law requiring disclosures for commercial purpose loans.
  • The CSBS goes to court again to stop the OCC from issuing a charter to a fintech company.

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Continue Reading Fintech Week in Review: Week of January 8, 2021

Weekly Fintech Focus

  • House Financial Services Committee sets priorities it hopes the incoming Biden administration will enact.
  • First major bank prohibits use of its credit cards for buy-now-pay-later transactions.
  • CFPB issues another no action letter for unsecured, closed-end installment lending model with AI underwriting.

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Continue Reading Fintech Week in Review: Week of December 11, 2020

Weekly Fintech Focus

  • FTC files suit against a mobile app that advertised high-interest deposit accounts and easy access to customer funds but failed to deliver.
  • OCC proposes rule to ensure fair access to financial services and to codify the reversal of policies imposed under Operation Choke Point.
  • CFPB issues an advisory opinion clarifying that certain earned wage access services are not credit under Regulation Z.

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Continue Reading Fintech Week in Review: Week of December 4, 2020

Weekly Fintech Focus

  • The CFPB issues an ANPR to engage in a rulemaking process on consumer access to financial records under Section 1033 of Dodd-Frank.
  • NYDFS expects regulated financial institutions to assess climate change risks.
  • Federal banking regulators look to codify that supervisory guidance is not binding.
  • The OCC issues its “true lender” final rule.
  • The effective date of the recent HUD disparate impact rule is enjoined by district court.
  • Senate Democrats introduce a bill to prohibit discrimination under the Civil Rights Act of 1964 for banks and other financial institutions.
  • Quarles discusses the FSB’s growing concern with nonbanks in light of their interconnectedness with the financial system and vulnerabilities manifested during the pandemic.
  • The FDIC finds a shrinking unbanked population and encourages further innovation in banking technologies to create a more inclusive banking system.
  • Digital bank, its API provider, and its licensed bank settles claims related to system service outage.
  • SoFi obtains conditional approval for its national bank charter.

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Continue Reading Fintech Week in Review: Week of October 23 and October 30, 2020

Weekly Fintech Focus

  • OCC releases Interpretative Letter that clarifies national banks’ and federal saving associations’ ability to hold certain stablecoins as reserves in a hosted wallet.
  • California DBO awards grants for financial education and empowerment programs.

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Continue Reading Fintech Week in Review: Week of September 25, 2020

Weekly Fintech Focus

  • FinCEN issues final rule that implements certain AML requirements on banks that lack a federal functional regulator.
  • FinCEN seeks public comment on AML Program requirements.
  • State regulators announce the “One Company, One Exam” for licensed payment firms.
  • The CFPB published its SBREFA outline for the upcoming small business loan data rule.

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Continue Reading Fintech Week in Review: Week of September 18, 2020

Weekly Fintech Focus

  • HUD finalizes fair lending rule that clarifies disparate impact claims, but leaves out controversial defenses for algorithms.
  • California’s DBO to receive a new name and new oversight powers.
  • CFPB will host its first Tech Sprint in October, focused on adverse action notices.

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Continue Reading Fintech Week in Review: Week of September 11, 2020

Weekly Fintech Focus

  • The CFPB settles with two remittance transfer providers for EFTA and remittance transfer rule violations.
  • The CFPB reports early impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on consumer credit.
  • FinCEN releases statement in advance of media outlets intent to publish articles based on unlawfully disclosure SARs.
  • The FTC seeks comments on 5 rules that implement the FCRA.

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Continue Reading Fintech Week in Review: Week of September 4, 2020