On August 25, 2023, the CFPB issued technical corrections to the “Agency Contact Information” final rule that it published in the Federal Register on March 20, 2023. The final rule made non-substantive corrections and updates to Bureau and other Federal agency contact information found at certain locations in Regulations B, E, F, J, V, X, Z, and DD, including Federal agency contact information that must be provided with Equal Credit Opportunity Act adverse action notices and the Fair Credit Reporting Act Summary of Consumer Rights.

On August 22, 2023, the CFPB sued Heights Finance Holding Company, formerly known as Southern Management Corporation, a high-cost installment lender, as well as several of Heights’s subsidiaries (collectively, Southern), for illegal loan-churning practices that harvested hundreds of millions in loan costs and fees. The CFPB alleges that the company, which operates under a variety of trade names, identifies borrowers who are struggling to repay their existing loans, and then aggressively pushes them to refinance. The CFPB is seeking to end Southern’s unlawful loan-churning practices, to gain redress for harmed consumers, and to require Southern to pay a civil money penalty.

 On August 17, 2023, the CFPB took action against Freedom Mortgage Corporation (Freedom) for providing illegal incentives to real estate brokers and agents in exchange for mortgage loan referrals.  According to the CFPB, Freedom provided real estate agents and brokers with numerous incentives, including cash payments, paid subscription services, and catered parties, with the understanding they would refer prospective homebuyers to Freedom for mortgage loans. 

On August 15, 2023, CFPB Director Rohit Chopra spoke at a White House Roundtable on Protecting Americans from Harmful Data Practices where he announced that the Bureau has decided to launch a rulemaking to ensure that modern-day digital data brokers are not misusing or abusing consumers' sensitive data. According to Chopra, the proposals aim to ensure that modern-day data companies assembling profiles about consumers are meeting the requirements under the Fair Credit Reporting Act.

On August 14, 2023,  the FDIC  published its 2023 Risk Review, which summarizes conditions in the U.S. economy, financial markets, and banking industry. According to the FDIC, this year’s expanded report incorporates data and insights related to the recent stress to the banking sector through first quarter 2023.

On August 4, 2023, FinCEN announced that officials from FinCEN traveled to Mexico City to reinforce its continuing commitment to close collaboration with the Mexican government to combat illicit finance. On August 2, FinCEN hosted a cross-border roundtable on the shared priorities of combating fentanyl and other drug trafficking, human smuggling and trafficking, and other predicate crimes. The dialogue was participated by U.S. and Mexican financial institutions, U.S. and Mexican regulators and financial intelligence units, and U.S. law enforcement.

On July 31 2023, the ABA Banking Journal published an article announcing a Federal judge’s decision to block the enforcement of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s Section 1071 final rule while the Supreme Court hears a challenge to the constitutionality of the CFPB’s funding structure. This delay, however, does not apply to all financial institutions, so those needing more information regarding this delay should seek legal counsel.