The loans for self-employed borrowers are getting a fresh examination to determine if they fall within the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's updated guidelines for qualified mortgages, which went into effect in October.

Many experts think the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's funding through the Federal Reserve could be the fatal flaw in the Dodd-Frank Act that created the agency, but differentiating the CFPB's structure from others may be tricky.

In a series of tense exchanges, Republicans accused Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Director Rohit Chopra of making rules through press releases.

Nonbanks would have to inform the CFPB of any state or local court decisions against them involving consumer financial products, under a new proposed rule. That information would be pooled with data about federal violations and be made available to the public.

Republican control of the House of Representatives means that CFPB could be sidelined for years, writes the Chairman of Whalen Global Advisors

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau is challenging a recent appeals court decision that its funding through the Federal Reserve Board violates the separation of powers doctrine. That ruling "threatens to inflict immense legal and practical harms" on financial regulation, the CFPB says.

Legal experts are gaming out the various options for the CFPB after a three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit ruled on Oct. 19 that the bureau's funding is unconstitutional.

Regulators are raising alarm over the design applications that can manipulate consumers into buying products or services or compromise their personal information.

An appeals court ruling last week found that the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's funding structure violates the Constitution, but another court filing shows how the agency might fight back.

"The main threat we see is coming from the CFPB, where the single director can act as judge, jury, and executioner, all in one," said Bob Broeksmit, president of the Mortgage Bankers Association

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's rules and enforcement actions to date could be open to legal challenges by banks and other companies after a three-judge panel deemed the agency's payday lending rule unconstitutional because of the way the agency is funded, legal experts say.

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit overturned a lower court's ruling, declaring the agency's funding structure and its 2017 payday lending rule invalid.

A federal judge found that the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau overstated the costs and understated the negative impact of exempting 1,700 financial institutions from reporting Home Mortgage Disclosure Act data.

The trade groups, including the American Bankers Association, allege the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau exceeded its authority by claiming discrimination in any financial product violates the federal prohibition on "unfair, deceptive or abusive acts or practices."

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's latest request for information floats the idea of an "auto-refi" and potentially extending pandemic-related options like forbearance for permanent industry use.

The Consumer Bankers Association and the Center for Responsible Lending said the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau should renew its efforts to level the regulatory playing field between larger bank and nonbank companies that make installment and other kinds of personal loans.

Customers told the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau that bank customer service practices need a lot of work, but banks say more regulation would only make matters worse.

The allegations by Rep. Patrick McHenry and others were a response to a CFPB interpretive rule, even though states use their own laws prohibiting unfair and deceptive acts and practices.

In an internal memo to staff, Deputy CFPB Director Zixta Q. Martinez announced a realignment of the bureau’s legal and student loan offices with an expanded strategy team.  

The agency issued an advisory opinion warning that credit reporting bureaus and other entities using credit checks can no longer use disclaimers to bypass privacy protections.