Registry of Supervised Nonbanks That Use Form Contracts To Impose Terms and Conditions That Seek To Waive or Limit Consumer Legal Protections

Issuing agencies

Abstract

The Consumer Financial Protection Act of 2010 (CFPA) requires the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (Bureau or CFPB) to monitor markets for consumer financial products and services for risks to consumers in order to support the various statutory functions of the CFPB, and to conduct a risk-based nonbank supervision program for the purpose of assessing compliance with Federal consumer financial law (among other purposes). Pursuant to these authorities, the CFPB is proposing a rule to require that nonbanks subject to its supervisory authority, with limited exceptions, register each year in a nonbank registration system established by the CFPB information about their use of certain terms and conditions in form contracts for consumer financial products and services that pose risks to consumers. In particular, these nonbanks would be required to register if they use specific terms and conditions defined in the proposed rule that attempt to waive consumers' legal protections, to limit how consumers enforce their rights, or to restrict consumers' ability to file complaints or post reviews. To facilitate public awareness and oversight by other regulators including the States, the Bureau is proposing to publish information identifying registrants and their use of these terms and conditions.