Credit Card Hotline Causes Next Fight Over Consumer Bureau

By Cornelius Nunev


The brouhaha over the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau has only gotten worse in recent weeks. The latest log on the fire is the charge card hotline which the CFPB is supposed to be opening soon. The hotline would take complaints and other data directly from customers. The agency would compile the data and decide to act when appropriate. However, that is the kind of in-formation is easily misused, which is why banks and card issuers want some restraints placed on how it could be used. This would help keep all payday loan data private.

Crowdsourcing a thing of penalties for card businesses

Daily Finance explains the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau is consider-ing a credit card hotline for customers to complain about troubles at, which is causing lots of debate. The hotline would be so consumers can report any abuse that takes place. Then the Bureau would give that information to states to use. The basic idea is that the data would be crowdsourcing for grievances. However, the complaints would also go straight to government officials who could potentially fine card issuers without vetting the complaints. Card issuers and banks, according to Bloomberg, are looking to keep the database private, so only the card issuer, the customer who complained and the appropri-ate regulatory agency can view data about the individual complaint.

Flow of in-formation to stay with banks

The idea behind making the information private is that it restricts the flow of raw data, which can be unfairly biased against banks. Right now, the complaint line will start with the CFPB. This is expected to take place on July 21. The line is set up so the information could be seen by everyone who wants to see it. That means complaint data can easily be accessed. It is true that bank and card issuers may not want the information out so nobody knows what is really going on. It is also essential to consider a lot of people will always com-plain about fees, no matter how reasonable they are. A way to get data straight from the public is certainly admirable, but without restraint it can very easily be used inappropriately.

Future of consumer bureau clouded

The job of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau is to monitor everything involving consumer credit. This consists of debit cards, credit cards, payday loans and mortgages. One organization with all that power has started debate. Congress has fought over it continuously. There were three bills on the bureau introduced though. Two of these would change who's in charge of it, Reuters states. One of these would give a five member panel control rather than one director while another would keep the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau from having control until a director is assigned. Elizabeth Warren is the White House advi-sor getting the bureau ready that has been considered for director, however Republicans are against that. The bureau may not actually start in July as expected.




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