Consumer Protection and Financial Services

For consumer protection and financial services issues, we conduct interviews up and down the supply chain and follow key actions of the agencies and Congress to determine whether or not behavior is likely to run afoul of the law or provoke consumer protection policymakers to act.

Recent Consumer Protection and Financial Services Coverage Areas

• For Profit Education
• Diversified Gas and Oil
• Credit Acceptance Corporation
• Online Auto Retailers
• Natera
• Solar Industry

Select Article Archive

Penumbra: Doctors Express Frustration Over Company Response to Jet 7 Catheter Issue, with Some Abandoning the Jet 7 or Penumbra Products Altogether

Penumbra: Majority of Jet 7 Malfunctions Unrelated to Contrast Injection, According to FDA Database

Penumbra: Jet 7 Catheter Susceptible to Malfunction, Risking Injury or Patient Death

Wells Fargo: Millions of Customers Might be Due Refund for Faulty Checking Charges

SmileDirectClub: Dissatisfied Customers Asked to Sign Release Before Getting Refund; Restrictions on Complaints and Reviews in Release Could Run Afoul of State and Federal Laws

Trupanion: Company Pricing for Insurance Is on Average Higher than Competitors; Pets Best Growth Could Negatively Affect Company Margins

USPS Policy: Self-Declared Rate Proposal Seeks to Establish Parity Between Domestic and International Delivery Rates; Likely Positive for Domestic Producers, Amazon, UPS and FedEx; Negative for Shopify and Wish

Fannie Mae: Mobile-Home Loan Program Leaves Evictions, Billionaire Profits in Wake

Teladoc: Potential Outcomes and Consequences of NCQA Reaccreditation Request

Wells Fargo: Thousands of Tainted Accounts Found as Bank Struggles to Change Culture

Fannie Mae: Taxpayers Back Luxury Apartments Through ‘Green’ Loans

TransDigm: House Oversight Committee Staff Investigating Company Practices Detailed in OIG Report

Wells Fargo: Regulator can Check Next CEO’s “Character” and Must Reject Anyone Unfit, Says Senator Warren in Letter

Wells Fargo: Bank Allowed to Shed Anti-Money Laundering Work, Despite Past Failings

Carvana: Well-Received ABS Securitization Includes Unorthodox Calculation of Expected Deal Proceeds; Gross Profit Calculation Heavily Reliant upon Securities not Offered for Sale as Part of Deal

JEDI: Emails Show Additional Connections Between DOD Officials and Amazon in Early 2017

Wells Fargo: Bank Faced Extensive Anti-Money Laundering Compliance Issues as Fake Signature Problem Emerged

Wells Fargo: Customers Cheated on Car Insurance May Get Nothing in Confused Payout

TransDigm: DOD OIG Finds TransDigm Earned “Excessive Profits” on 99 Percent of Contracts Reviewed, DOD Management Endorses Aggressive Legislative Changes to Prevent Future Price Increases; SAM Registration Discrepancies Referred to Defense Criminal Investigative Services

Wells Fargo: Senator Warren Says Wells Fargo CEO Must Go in Light of Capitol Forum Report

Wells Fargo: Employees Doctored Signatures, Raising Possibility of Federal Penalties

Payment Processing Industry: Processors Overcharge Merchants by Up to 50 Percent, According to Experts; A Closer Look at Industry Markup, Fee and Margin Inflation Practices

Credit Acceptance: All Eyes on Mass AG Regarding Enforcement of Credit Acceptance and Subprime Auto Industry

Invitation Homes: Tenants Say Rental Homes Poorly Maintained, Violate Habitability Standards and Local Housing Codes, Company Deaf to Concerns

Single-Family Rental Industry: Companies Keep Tenant Security Deposits, Pad Move-Out Statements, Turn Former Tenants’ Accounts Over to Debt Collectors

Vantiv: A Closer Look at Company’s Merchant Agreement; Agreement Contains Potentially Illegal Early Termination Provision

FleetCor: Risk Based Pricing Raises Additional Disclosure Issues and Further Undermines the Fuel Card Value Proposition

Auto Financing: Takeaways From Subprime Auto Financing Conference: Negative Incentives in Dealer-Lender Relationship Drive Problems In Market, Long-Lasting Harms To Consumers

Credit Acceptance: A Closer Look at How Company Policies Create Incentives for Fraud at Dealerships

Credit Acceptance Corporation: Company Lending Data Shows Importance of Wage Garnishment to Business Model; Signs of Problematic Practices Create Regulatory Risk