Eleven years ago, Think Finance was named one of Forbes’ most promising companies. Now, the online lender is bankrupt, with the Consumer Finance Protection Bureau (CFPB) saying it defrauded hundreds of thousands of consumers. The bureau on Tuesday (May 14) announced it had distributed more than $384 million from its victims relief fund to about 191,000 consumers who, according to
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) has issued an order against coding bootcamp BloomTech, also known as the Bloom Institute of Technology, and its CEO, Austen Allred, alleging that they deceived students about the real cost of loans and made false claims about the hiring rates of the bootcamp’s graduates. The order permanently bans BloomTech from all consumer-lending activities; bans Allred
In a recent release, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau warned about the emerging risks associated with crypto-focused gaming. The report, “Banking in Video Games and Virtual Worlds,” highlights the agency’s concerns over scams and diminished consumer protections in video games and virtual worlds. As the intersection of virtual gaming and cryptocurrency grows, the Consumer Financial
The Biden administration is expanding its crackdown on junk fees, this time setting its sights on the mortgage industry. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) cites particular concern about the rising costs of home purchase loans, which surged nearly 22% from 2021 to 2022. In other words, closing costs rose nearly $1,000 to an average
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau detailed in its 2023 Consumer Response Annual Report that consumers have been the targets of fraudulent account openings, and installment loans were the most cited type of personal lending in complaints. The report, released Friday (March 29), noted that complaints about credit or consumer reporting accounted for more than 81%