CFPB Issues Fall Agenda

The CFPB published its Fall 2016 Rulemaking Agenda last week. The Agenda, which is a federal requirement, was issued in the “early fall” and therefore does not take into account the effect the election may have on the CFPB or its current configuration. While the Agenda is worth monitoring and provides insight into the CFPB’s hot button issues, there is no certainty as to what the next six months will hold.

Payday Lending: As most know, the CFPB published its proposed rule on July 22, 2016. The Comment period ended on October 7, 2016. The rule has met significant opposition and it is telling that no further estimation or target dates have been set by the CFPB for a final rule.

TRID: The CFPB published its proposed amendments to TRID in the form of a Notice of Public Rulemaking in July 2016.The proposed amendments “memorialize the Bureau’s informal guidance on various issues and include clarifications and technical amendments.” The comment period expired October 18, 2016 and the Bureau has set a target date of March 2017 for publication of the Final Rule.


Overdrafts: Since at least the spring of 2015, the CFPB has indicated that they are conducting research to assess whether rulemaking is warranted. Since then, the CFPB does not appear to have made much public headway. The Fall Agenda, like its recent predecessors, indicates the Bureau is still engaged in pre rule making activities. The Rulemaking Agenda bumps the target date for further activity from August 2016 to January 2017 for further pre-rule making activity.

Debt Collection: One of the biggest stories that remains is when a proposed rule as to debt collection will be issued. The CFPB has not committed to a time line but has made progress. In a surprise to many, the CFPB has bifurcated the process by addressing third party and first party collections separately. A SBREFA Panel was convened as to the CFPB’s third party debt proposal in August 2016 and the CFPB continues to meet with interested parties. A proposal as to first party collections is the next likely step. The CFPB estimates further pre-rule activities in February 2017.

Arbitration: The CFPB published its proposed Arbitration Rule in the form of a Notice of Public Rulemaking in May 2016 and has targeted February 2017 for a final rule.

Women owned, Minority owned and Small Business Data Collection: The CFPB is in the early stages of developing rules to require financial institutions to report information about their lending to women-owned, minority owned and small businesses. The CFPB has indicated a desire to model any data collection after their recently released HMDA Rules. Pre-rule activities are expected to continue in the first part of 2017.

Supervision of Larger Participants in Installment Loan and Vehicle Title Loan Markets: The CFPB is considering rules expanding its larger participants supervision to include consumer installment loans and vehicle title loan markets. The Bureau is also considering “whether rules to require registration of these or other non-depository lenders would facilitate supervision”. The CFPB has targeted May 2017 for pre-rule activities.