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With the CFPB's future uncertain, New York and other states want to step in

Mar 5, 2020
Some states are stepping up their plans to regulate the debt collection industry. Consumer advocates say the moves come at a time when Federal protections are weakening.
Gov. Cuomo announced a plan to crack down on fraud with additional oversight of the debt collection industry.
Scott Heins/Getty Images

A rice by any other name...

May 23, 2019
Lawmakers in the state of Louisiana are debating when food products can be called “rice.”
Jeff Durand on his rice farm in St. Martinville, Louisiana.
Laine Kaplan-Levenson

China's professional shoppers

Apr 4, 2019
They're making a living ... undercover.
People walk between buildings at a shopping mall in Beijing on October 18, 2018.
Greg Baker/AFP/Getty Images

Your student loan company just changed the terms of your agreement. What do you do next?

Sep 20, 2018
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau helps you handle problems you’re having with a financial service or product. Here’s how that process works.
A poster of evidence is presented by then-U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York Preet Bharara during a press conference on May 7, 2013 in New York City.
John Moore/Getty Images

CFPB head Mulvaney grilled on Capitol Hill

Apr 11, 2018
Across the hallway from Mark Zuckerberg’s second round on Capitol Hill today there was another hearing taking place. This one was not quite so well-attended. Mick Mulvaney was there to be questioned on his role as acting director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. Democrats have been worried that Mulvaney is a little overly-friendly to […]

Elizabeth Warren: "Equifax may actually make money off this breach"

The Massachusetts senator thinks the credit-rating agency got off easy.
Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren, above, and Virginia Sen. Mark Warner are introducing legislation that would levy harsh penalties for security breaches at credit-rating agencies.
Drew Angerer/Getty Images

Why do companies wait so long to tell us we've been hacked?

Sep 11, 2017
All but two states have laws governing disclosure, but there is a lot of wiggle room in the rules.
Photo illustration by Leon Neal/Getty Images

For public good, not for profit.

Changes at the top for Wells Fargo

Aug 17, 2017
Scandal-besieged Wells Fargo seems to be cleaning up its act. It’s replacing three of 15 board members, including the chairman. Stephen Sanger will step down at the end of the year and current Vice Chair Elizabeth Duke will take his place. Is this a real change for the bank? Click the audio player above to […]

Who are the unbanked?

Jun 29, 2017
Income volatility is increasingly driving low- and middle-income Americans to check cashers and payday lenders.
Oli Scarff/Getty Images

Senate blocks states from creating retirement plans

Mar 31, 2017
The Senate narrowly passed a plan to roll back a program used by states and local governments to create individual retirement accounts for workers not covered by an employer account. The program is already underway in several states, including California, Oregon, Maryland, Connecticut and Illinois. It’s an odd position Republicans now find themselves in — […]