The Federal Trade Commission’s Rule on Unfair or Deceptive Fees, sometimes called the “Junk Fees Rule,” took effect on May 12, 2025. In advance of that effective date, the FTC published Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) to provide guidance to consumers and businesses regarding the Rule.
Continue Reading FTC Issues FAQs on ‘Junk Fees’ Rule
On April 30, 2025, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) announced that it “will not prioritize enforcement or supervision actions” related to obligations imposed by its Small Business Lending Rule (under Regulation B) against entities not covered by the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals’ stay in Texas Bankers Association v. CFPB, No. 24-40705.
Continue Reading CFPB Will Not Enforce Small Business Lending Rule
On Nov. 12, 2024, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) released a report examining federal and state privacy protections for consumers’ financial data. In the report, the CFPB “critiques” the privacy protections available under the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act (GLBA) and the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA), asserting that the federal framework has “limitations.” The CFPB then
On Oct. 22, 2024, the CFPB issued a final rule that will require covered financial institutions to provide consumers and authorized third parties with access and portability options for their financial data. The CFPB’s final rule, called the “Personal Financial Data Rights Rule,” implements Section 1033 of Title X of the Dodd-Frank Act, a to-date
On Oct. 16, 2024, the Federal Trade Commission announced its final “Click-to-Cancel” Rule for subscription services and other negative option offers. The rule requires sellers to make it as easy for consumers to cancel subscriptions as it was to sign up for them. The rule also changes businesses’ marketing, disclosure, consent, and recordkeeping requirements and
On June 17, 2024, the FTC filed a federal court complaint against Adobe and two of its executives. The complaint alleges that Adobe deceived consumers by failing to adequately disclose that its annual subscription plans were subject to an ETF and by making it difficult for consumers to cancel their annual subscription plans.
On June 4, 2024, the CFPB released a circular cautioning companies against including unlawful or unenforceable terms and conditions in contracts for consumer financial products or services. The circular asserts that companies often embed unlawful or unenforceable terms in the fine print of their contracts, using this “fine print tactic” to deceive consumers into surrendering
On May 30, 2024, the CFPB issued a new request for information (RFI) from the public regarding “why closing costs are increasing, who is benefiting, and how costs for borrowers and lenders could be lowered.”
As part of a wider effort targeting what both the CFPB and the Biden administration refer to as “junk fees,”
The FTC recently took action against bill payment company Doxo and its co-founders, accusing them of engaging in deceptive “junk fee” practices that harmed consumers. The FTC’s complaint alleges that Doxo used misleading search ads and deceptive designs to conceal millions of dollars in “junk fees.”
Continue Reading FTC Takes Action Against Doxo, Citing Junk Fees