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Financial Services Law Insights and Observations

NYDFS will continue to pursue litigation if OCC moves forward with fintech charter

State Issues NYDFS OCC Fintech Fintech Charter

State Issues

On June 6, New York Department of Financial Services (NYDFS) Superintendent, Maria T. Vullo, spoke to the Exchequer Club in Washington, DC, emphasizing, among other things, her opposition to the OCC’s proposal for a fintech charter. Vullo noted that the OCC has not actually finalized plans for the new charter and Comptroller, Joseph Otting, is expected to announce his views on the pending proposal soon. As previously covered by InfoBytes, two legal challenges, one by NYDFS and one by the Conference of State Bank Supervisors, were recently dismissed in separate district courts for lack of subject matter jurisdiction and ripeness due to the fact that the OCC has not issued a fintech charter nor has it finalized its plans to issue one. In her speech, Vullo, acknowledged these lawsuits and her desire to continue the litigation “rather than accept the OCC’s lack of authority in the non-depository space and respect the states’ regulation of and consumer protections in this area.” Vullo noted that fintech, when done right, is a “very good thing” that can assist in bringing banking services to underserved customers. But she also stated that companies that use financial technology should not be granted “an exemption from the rules that banks and other financial institutions follow to manage risk and protect consumers.”

Vullo also touched on (i) her support for the CFPB’s final rule on payday loans, vehicle title loans, and certain other high-cost installment loans; (ii) her concerns over the dismantling of the Bureau’s Office for Students; (iii) her opposition to the Department of Education’s position that only the federal government may oversee student loan servicers (see InfoBytes coverage here); and (iv) the potential risks with the unregulated virtual currency market.