The CFPB, a consolidation of seven federal agencies, currently enforces most regulations related to consumer finance. Enforcing consumer protections often invites broad interpretation, giving the agency extensive power over many economic sectors. The agency issues rules, investigates consumer complaints, supervises entities regulated by consumer protections, and takes enforcement action. This power, it seems, has not come with proportional oversight. While the CFPB is not alone in having unaccountable authority granted by Congress, the bureau’s unique characteristics make its constitutionality dubious.
Read MoreJason Stinnett, a bankruptcy and consumer litigation attorney at a non-profit law firm in downtown Baton Rouge, Louisiana, is familiar with the devastating impacts of predatory payday lending. His clientele are mostly Black women, many of whom support families on less than $1,500 a month. To pay for basic living expenses like rent and groceries, some borrow from local consumer finance companies. It is easy to accumulate debt from these loans, but hard to escape it. The interest rates on payday loans in Baton Rouge can reach higher than 33%, and it is not uncommon for companies to sue borrowers for debts that amount to more than their yearly income.
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