The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s unified agenda was quietly released this week, and it shows that rules on consumer access to financial records and small-business data collection are top priorities. 

The director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau said he plans to take a fresh look at the Qualified Mortgage rule, the CARD Act and other long-standing rules.

The two regional banks announced plans to abandon nonsufficient fund fees and make other moves that will reduce the revenue they collect from cash-strapped consumers.

Martin Gruenberg, the agency' acting chair, said it will be watching commercial real estate and other assets as matters of “ongoing supervisory attention.” 

In a 5-4 Supreme Court decision two years ago, the bureau’s rulemakings survived intact. But a pair of pending cases that challenge the agency's funding through the Federal Reserve are again seeking to invalidate every action the CFPB has taken since 2010.

A more active Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, competition from Big Tech and sanctions on Russia are combining to make compliance a much larger concern than in the past, according to legal experts who spoke at American Banker's Payments Forum.

A 2019 state law limits annual interest rates on many loans to 36%, but some high-cost lenders have found a way to continue operating in California by partnering with banks. Now Democratic legislators want the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. to take action.

Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Director Rohit Chopra is pushing the envelope of the bureau's power and jurisdiction in untested ways. More companies are disputing the CFPB’s allegations, refusing to pay large fines or admit wrongdoing, and vowing to defend themselves in court. 

Bankers object to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's request on “exploitative junk fees” that produce billions in income for financial institutions, arguing that banks are compliant with statutes that require fees be disclosed to customers.

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau director told Congress he will revise some rules as the bureau looks to address late fees.