Steve Benen notes the imminent practical demise of the CFPB:
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau probably isn’t the most well-known federal agency, but it’s one of the best examples of progressive governance in the 21st century. From taking on banks to the student loan industry, payday lenders to mortgage companies, the bureau — an idea first championed by Democratic Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts — has championed Americans’ interests since its inception.
Writing for MSNBC, Helaine Olen recently explained, “Over its almost 13 years, the agency has stopped numerous financial ripoffs and returned billions of dollars to the public. Its mere existence provides an ongoing demonstration of how the government can effectively stand up to big money interests and protect the American people.”
And so:
In theory, it would take congressional action to close the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. After all, Congress created the CFPB, and it would fall to Congress to kill the CFPB.
In practice, however, [Russell] Vought, one of the key authors of the right-wing Project 2025 blueprint, has a different approach in mind: The White House’s budget director appears eager to effectively eliminate the watchdog agency by gutting it from within.
It appears that, until the Democrats – or their successors – regain control of the White House and Congress, the CFPB will be out of action. Why? I’m not sure. It could be a requirement of the business world that they not have to be monitored by the CFPB; or it could simply be a retroactive attempt by the Republicans to take away a victory from the Democrats in a bow to the Gingrichian principle of the same general nature.
Of course, this is about as effective as a retroactive abortion.
But what’s to be done in the meanwhile? For my readers, I recommend a full review of your service providers: bank, insurance, Internet, all that sort of thing. And then reconsider them.
For example, I’ve always felt that the most attractive targets to hackers in the banking sector are the big banks, so when it came time to pick out a bank after my first place, a Savings and Loan, became inconvenient (was bought out? didn’t have a convenient branch? I don’t recall), I ended up going with one of the smaller banks in the state. A little research indicated nothing of worry, so that made it easy, and I’ve not looked back.
A trite tale? My Arts Editor used to work for one of the biggest banks around, and each time they are sued for their little tricksy efforts to increase profits, I get to hear about it. “All about the money,” and not all about the community. I’ll not be using any bank in the super-heavyweight class if I can at all avoid it.
Some services you won’t have a lot of choice. My Internet provider does not have a good reputation, but I don’t have a lot of choice – oh well. But checking out your various service providers can pay off.
