Mercatus Policy Download

How to regulate consumer financial products and services has remained one of the most contentious issues in Washington since the financial crisis. Congress created a new agency aimed at dealing with the issue in the wake of the crisis, but nearly 7 years after that agency first opened its doors, the issue remains as relevant as ever. In fact, experts are even divided on what to call the agency. For some, it’s the “Consumer Financial Protection Bureau,” or CFPB. For others, including Acting Director Mick Mulvaney, it’s the “Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection,” or the BCFP. Today, we're going to try and just call it “The Bureau,” and ask our guests to talk a little about the recent nomination of Kathleen Kraninger to direct the agency. More importantly, however, we’ll talk about the future of consumer credit regulation regardless of who runs the Bureau, or what it’s called: Justin Schardin, a fellow with the Bipartisan Policy Center, and the former director of their Financial Regulatory Reform Initiative.