Weekly Fintech Focus
- The CFPB plans to review CARD Act Rules.
- The Treasury Department proposes clarifications to regulatory treatment of Earned Wage Access programs.
CFPB Director Chopra Plans to Review CARD Act Rules
The day after a tough hearing with the Senate Banking Committee, on April 27, 2022, the House Financial Services Committee held a hearing in which Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) Director Rohit Chopra spoke with lawmakers about his plans to explore whether the CFPB should revisit and potentially revise previously written rules to implement the Credit Card Accountability Responsibility and Disclosure Act (the CARD Act).
These rules cover various consumer protection requirements and restrictions such as limits on interest rate increases and certain fees. Particularly, Chopra’s comments suggest that the CFPB could pursue tougher restrictions on issuer fees as part of a broader effort to manage what he refers to as “junk fees.” Chopra did not provide a specific definition on what fees the agency may scrutinize, but his responses to inquiries from lawmakers indicates that it could cover a broad array of charges that are imposed on bank accounts, credit cards, and other financial products, such as late fees and other fees that do not compensate for a specific service.