Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Archives

Unfair insurance practices earn Wells Fargo a $1 billion fine

April 26, 2018April 12, 2021 Logan B.

The banking giant’s latest penalties are for having sold unnecessary auto insurance to customers. Wells Fargo has been slapped with a $1 billion fine for its unfair insurance practices. Thousands of the bank’s vehicle loan customers were sold additional unnecessary auto insurance policies. Those car owners ended up paying much more for their vehicles than was necessary. Among those Wells Fargo customers, thousands ended up having their vehicles repossessed as a result of the unfair insurance practices. The fine was laid down by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau as well…

New report highlights the expensive nature of health insurance

March 17, 2015March 14, 2015 Logan B.

Many people in the US cannot afford the deductible on their health insurance policies The Kaiser Family Foundation has released a new report that shows that more consumers in the United States have health insurance, but fewer of these people are actually able to afford the deductible on their policies. The Affordable Care Act has helped make insurance coverage more accessible to consumers, but the law has not made deductibles for new policies affordable. Many consumers with mid-to-high range plans are unable to afford their deductibles because of a lack…

US health insurance sector could be in for a shift

November 7, 2014November 6, 2014 Marc

Mid-term elections see Republican Party take majority of political power in the country Mid-term elections in the United States have come and passed and now the Republican Party is in control of Congress. This could have major implications for the health insurance sector, as many Republicans have been opposed to the Affordable Care Act and its various provisions. With control of Congress, Republican lawmakers may be able to introduce yet more reform to the health care system, and some may push to have certain provisions of the Affordable Care Act…

Insurance news made as Coinbase takes out Bitcoin policy

September 2, 2014August 31, 2014 H. Cutner

The company has now purchased protection through Aon to cover digital currency from theft and loss. Coinbase, a provider of bitcoin merchant and wallet services, is now making insurance news as it has taken out a policy to be able to cover the digital currency against the threat of loss and theft. The company is seeking to use the insurance policy to protect itself against cyber attacks and hacks. According to a blog post from the company, “Coinbase is insured against theft and hacking in an amount that exceeds the…

Insurance news investigation includes accusations of kickback scheme

April 9, 2013April 8, 2013 H. Cutner

These allegations are appearing in the mortgage coverage sector and are being investigated by federal regulators. The latest insurance news has revealed that federal regulators have started a massive investigation into allegations of a mortgage coverage kickback scheme that has driven costs for homeowners skywards for nearly two decades. The first action in the investigation has been conducted around a bank and lender kickback scheme. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau announced the first insurance news that showed that the investigation is focused specifically at a scheme where lenders and banks…

Forced placed insurance can cost three times more than a consumer-purchased policy

May 3, 2012May 25, 2012 Nordstrom

Standard homeowners insurance often costs a third of the premiums of lender-placed coverage. When forced placed insurance is purchased on behalf of a mortgage customer who has not kept up with homeowners insurance payments or who has failed to obtain coverage, it is typically to the property owner’s detriment, as many of these individuals are being severely gouged by their loan servicers for this protection. This form of coverage is designed to provide banks and other mortgage lenders with protection against losses on properties on which they have loaned money…

CFPB considers new rules for fair force placed insurance

April 11, 2012April 30, 2013

Forced placed insurance gets the squeeze. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), the country’s consumer watchdog agency, has put forward newly proposed rules for mortgage servicers which would require them to provide borrowers with better disclosure of fees, force placed insurance, and interest rates. According to the director of this newly formed organization, Richard Cordray, “The mortgage servicing rules we are considering reflect two basic, common-sense principles – no surprises and no runarounds.” The CFPB provided the proposal details, in a statement which included information about a measure that would…