CEI has fought excessive regulation in the financial sector from laws such as Sarbanes-Oxley and Dodd-Frank. We have scored major bipartisan victories for deregulation. These include the Jumpstart Our Business Startups (JOBS) Act, signed by President Obama in 2012, that lifted or relaxed some of the biggest burdens preventing small and midsize firms from raising capital and going public; and the Economic Growth, Regulatory Relief, and Consumer Protection Act, signed by President Trump in 2018, that lifted some of Dodd-Frank’s crushing burden on community banks and credit unions. We continue to fight to remove regulatory barriers that limit choices and increase costs for entrepreneurs, investors, and consumers.
Banking and Finance Issue Areas
Featured Posts
Cato Institute
The Fate of ‘Never Needed’ Regulations
Parking lots and parking garages have served for decades as venues for clandestine meetings in the movies and often in reality. In the early 1970s,…
News Release
House poised to end Biden-era CFPB overdraft rule: CEI statement
The House is expected today to vote on a Congressional Review Act (CRA) resolution overturning a Biden era Consumer Financial Protection Bureau rule to cap…
Issues & Insights
Reviving Community Banking By Lifting Barriers To New Banks
Americans have far fewer banks to choose from than they once did. The American banking industry has consolidated, with the number of U.S. banks falling…
Search Posts
DC Journal
Counterpoint: Harris’ Price Controls Won’t Tame Inflation
Right problem, wrong solution. It’s one of the most familiar stories in politics. Thanks to inflation, every American is paying higher prices for groceries and…
Blog
Congress needs to fight the bureaucracy – and itself
After testifying before the House Committee on Administration in July on Congress in a Post-Chevron World, I received a series of Questions for…
Letters
CEI Joins Coalition Letter Opposing Housing Price Controls
Dear Members of Congress and State Attorneys General, We, the undersigned organizations and individuals, are writing in opposition to all efforts to establish price controls…
Blog
This week in ridiculous regulations: marijuana scheduling and do-not-call fees
Rather than allow more housing to be built to combat rising rents, the Justice Department sued RealPage, a rent-listing service. CEI’s James Broughel released…
DC Journal
Counterpoint: Workers Are Not Better Off
The perennial question in presidential elections is, “Are you better off than you were four years ago?” For American workers, the answer is, lately, not…
The American Institute for Economic Research
Did the Bank of England Set Britain on the Road to Ruin?
“The Old Lady of Threadneedle Street” is the affectionate nickname of the Bank of England, as respected an institution as Britain ever had. Calling something…
Acton Institute
Invisible Logic: Boy, Do I Have a Conspiracy Theory for You
At page 99 of their substance-free investigation into the effects of the doctrine they call “neoliberalism,” George Monbiot and Peter Hutchison start talking about “conspiracy…
The Washington Times
Report suggests that real wages have fallen as inflation rose over past four years
The Washington Times cited CEI’s experts on real wages & rising inflation Sean Higgins, an analyst at the libertarian Competitive Enterprise Institute, said the Pew…
Blog
Congressional Review Act votes could claw back some of Biden’s regulations
As the Biden-Harris baton-passing administration approaches the final stretch of its first term, a critical deadline has passed that could render subsequent major federal rules…
News Release
Biden DOJ prosecution of RealPage will undermine multifamily housing supply and affordability
The Biden Justice Department along with 8 state attorneys general on August 23 announced a lawsuit against real estate software company RealPage, accusing the company…
Forbes
‘Strategic Bitcoin Reserve’ Plans Warrant Caution
At the recent Bitcoin Bitcoin -1.1% 2024 conference in Nashville, speakers proposed many good policies to tame the federal government’s regulatory hostility…
Blog
This week in ridiculous regulations: energy labeling and FCC rules for homework
There are now more than 2,000 new final regulations on the year. The Democratic National Convention was held in Chicago. A labor market statistic caused…
The Daily Caller
‘Ignore the Economists’: Dems, Liberal Media Scramble To Explain Why Kamala’s Price Control Plan Isn’t ‘Communist’
The Daily Caller cites CEI’s expert over Kamala’s price control plan “Her idea flopped badly. They can’t just withdraw it, so they have to ‘contextualize’…
TheLarsLarsonShow
Sean Higgins What Do The Revised Job Numbers Tell Us About The Future Of Our Economy
CEI expert was featured on TheLarsLarson Show to comment on the financial state of the economy Listen to more at TheLarsLarson Show…
News Release
Big revision in job numbers spells bad news for the economy: CEI analysis
The economy added 818,000 fewer jobs between March 2023 and March 2024 than previously reported, according to preliminary Bureau of Labor Statistics data. CEI…
The Western Journal
Mark Levin Uses 6th Grad Econ Test to Show Harris Why Her Inflation Plan Won’t Work
Mark Levin featured CEI’s short film I, pencil to show how Harris Inflation plan won’t work Levin then proceeded to show a video put…
Home Equity Lending News
Presidential Election Could Determine Fate of Freddie CES
Home Equity Lending News cited CEI on FHFA’s home-equity program “Government agencies are always looking for a way to expand their role,” says John Berlau,…
Do candidates follow through on economic promises if elected?
The Marketplace cited CEI on economic promises. Listen to more at The Marketplace…
Blog
This week in ridiculous regulations: Horse race integrity and threatening air cargo
Now that it’s August, agencies began publishing their Spring 2024 Unified Agenda entries for their planned regulations. Economists had a frustrating week, with Kamala…
Citation
Harris campaign grocery price control proposal could cause shortages
Washington Examiner cited CEI behind Harris grocery price control proposal Ryan Young, senior economist at the Competitive Enterprise Institute, also said politics were behind the…
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Clyde Wayne Crews Jr. and Ryan Young: America’s regulatory burden cost your family almost $16,000 a year
Most American families spend more on regulatory compliance than they do on food, education, or any other expense besides housing. From zoning and permit restrictions…
Bloomberg
Conservative Groups Call on Congress to Roll Back Climate Law
Bloomberg cited CEI on dismantling of the Inflation Reduction Act The best way forward is to use the budget reconciliation process in the next Congress…
NewsTalksSTL
Ryan Young on latest CPI, inflation & current economic conditions.
Ryan Young, senior economist at the Competitive Enterprise Institute (CEI), talks about the latest CPI (Consumer Price Index) report, inflation, and current economic conditions on…
Blog
Free the Economy podcast: Crypto politics with Eric Peterson
In this week’s episode we cover corporations playing politics, Florida’s ban on lab-grown meat, and a tale of two high-speed rail…
News Release
Good and bad news for July CPI numbers: CEI analysis
The Consumer Price Index for July rose 0.2 percent in July after a 0.1 percent decrease in June, largely driven by housing costs. CEI…
The Daily Caller
Higher-Income Americans Have Been Cashing In On Green Home Subsidies Under Biden
The Daily Caller cites CEI’s expert on the Inflation Reduction Act “It is clear that the tax credits in the Inflation Reduction Act primarily benefit…
Blog
This week in ridiculous regulations: Bank hiring and salmonella frameworks
Baseless recession freakouts dominated the news cycle. The just-released 2024 edition of Ten Thousand Commandments got its share of attention as well. Kamala…
Comment
CEI Comments on CFTC Event Contracts Rule Banning Election Betting Markets
Dear Mr. Kirkpatrick: On behalf of the Competitive Enterprise Institute (CEI), I appreciate the opportunity to submit comments on RIN 3038-AF14, which concerns the types…
Blog
Free the Economy podcast: Economic trends and subsidies with Andrew Stuttaford
In this week’s episode we cover weaponization of banking rules, the massive cost of federal regulation, and politicized pension fund management.
American Radio Journal
Audio: Ryan Young Joins American Radio Journal
Senior Economist Ryan Young joined American Radio Journal to discuss recession fears: Click here to read more.
The Daily Caller
It Turns Out Biden’s Economy Isn’t So ‘Cured’ After All
The Daily Caller cites CEI’s 10kc study Federal regulations added record-breaking costs of $2.1 trillion for the average American in 2023, resulting in a…
Washington Examiner
Liberal dream: Walz signed free college tuition, free meals for kids, and 100% renewable energy
Washington Examiner quoted CEI’s expert on financial regulation Ryan Young, senior economist at the Competitive Enterprise Institute, told the Washington Examiner that Walz has a track record…
American Radio Journal
Ryan Young: Making Sense of the Economic Turmoil
Click here to read more…
C-SPAN
Washington Journal discuss 10kc and Biden’s regulatory legacy
David Becker of Center for Election Innovation & Research discusses efforts to increase voter confidence in U.S. elections and Wayne Crews from the Competitive Enterprise…
National Review
Biden-Harris CFTC Bets It Can Ban Election Wagering
If you’re following the ever-changing news about the 2024 election, you’re probably hearing a lot about odds: Betting odds on who will be the president, who…
News Release
Fed maintains interest rates while eyeing unemployment: CEI analysis
The Fed has decided to maintain interest rates while also turning its focus to unemployment, a move that CEI senior economist Ryan Young…
Blog
Jerome Powell risks the Fed’s gains against inflation
The big story from today’s Federal Reserve decision isn’t that interest rates are staying the same. It’s that the dual mandate is back. This…
The Daily Signal
Biden Admin Regulations Cost US Households More Than $15,000 a Year, Report Says
The Daily Signal cited CEI on the Ten Thousand Commandments Households pay an average of $15,788 in hidden regulatory costs, according to…
National Review
Where to Begin with Regulatory Reform
National Review cited CEI on 10 Thousand Commandments report utting federal regulations can feel a little bit like being a mosquito in a nudist colony: It’s…
Blog
2024 edition of Ten Thousand Commandments is out now
The federal government has a spending budget that the public can see. Every year Congress allocates a certain amount of money to each agency, and…
The Daily Caller
$2.1 Trillion ‘Hidden Tax’: Cost Of Federal Regulations Hit Record High In 2023, Report Says
The Daily Caller cited CEI on Ten Thousand Commandments report Federal regulations added record-breaking costs of $2.1 trillion for the average American in 2023, according…
Washington Examiner
Regulations cost families $15,000, Biden-Harris swamp plans more
Washington Examiner cited CEI on 10KC regulatory reform As bad as those costs seem, they are likely much higher because the administration changed transparency…
The Federalist
It’s Time For Congress To Take Out America’s Regulatory Trash
The Federalist cites CEI on yearly regulations: According to the Competitive Enterprise Institute (CEI), 2019 was the only year on record in which…
Blog
Free the Economy podcast: Inflation and Bidenomics with Kurt Couchman
In this week’s episode we cover Capital One buying Discover, solutions for high housing prices, China’s soft-power investment strategy, and President…
Blog
Enhancing oversight: GAO’s blueprint for congressional control over agency rulemaking
On July 5, the White House released its biannual regulatory agenda for the executive branch, which highlights agency priorities for the next six months.
Capital Matters
Corner Post: Helping Hold the Administrative State to Account
Much attention has been paid to the Supreme Court’s recent overrule of the 40-year-old Chevron decision in Loper Bright Enterprises v. Raimondo. Chevron had facilitated the expansion…
Review-Journal
EDITORIAL: Increasingly desperate Biden steps up the pandering
Review-Journal cited CEI on deregulation of rent control initiative “Getting rid of regulatory barriers … will increase supply and lower cost for homeownership and renting,”…
DC Journal
Rent Control Idea Undermines Affordable Housing in the Long Run
The Biden administration has called for imposing federal limits on rent increases. This is a profoundly misguided policy from an economic perspective, and since it lacks…
Blog
Book review: The War on Prices by Ryan Bourne
I have reached a stage in my career where younger colleagues sometimes ask me for advice. There are a few evergreen pieces of advice I…
News Release
Biden Rent Control Idea is Bad Housing Policy
President Biden today issued a call to impose federal limits on rent increases nationwide. That idea would have many drawbacks, not just for landlords…
Decrypt
Republicans Likely to Follow Through With Pro-Crypto Agenda, Experts Say
Decrypt cited CEI on crypto currency While the details of the next era of crypto regulation remain to be seen, elected officials in both…
The Wall Street Journal
The Trump Economy, Past and Future
The Washington Examiner cites Fred L. Smith Fellow in Regulatory Studies Wayne Crews on deregulation and the Federal Register: The Trump deregulation may have been…
Blog
There is no such thing as a free lunch, especially under MMT.
Modern Monetary Theory (MMT) has emerged in recent years as a highly-debated economic concept, challenging traditional views on national debt and money. MMT is a…
News Release
Inflation remains stubborn despite June’s good report: CEI analysis
Monthly inflation dropped -0.1 percent in June after being unchanged in May, according to the latest Consumer Price Index report. While this is good…
Blog
A rule for the Fed
The Washington Examiner is running a series of pieces on policies the next administration should pursue. My contribution details a way to contain inflation…
Blog
Takeaways from Biden’s new Spring 2024 Unified Agenda of Federal Regulations
At the end of the July 4th holiday weekend, the Biden administration Office of Management and Budget (OMB) released the Spring 2024 edition of the…
Letters
CEI joins Advancing American Freedom- Coalition letter on Consolidated Audit Trail
Dear Member of Congress, The Biden Administration is on the verge of completing an almost decade-long project to create a massive government database containing the…
Letters
CEI Joins Coalition Letter Rejecting Proposals to Manipulate Interchange Fees
Dear Members of the Pennsylvania General Assembly, Americans for Tax Reform, and the undersigned organizations, write to you today to voice our opposition to…
Comment
Request for Comment on Proposed Statement of Policy on Bank Merger
To Whom It May Concern: On behalf of the Competitive Enterprise Institute (CEI), I respectfully submit the following comments in response to the Federal Deposit…
Blog
This week in ridiculous regulations: amplifiers and subsidized chickens
CEI’s Joel Zinberg released a new study on guidance document reform. The unemployment rate extended to 30 months its streak of being 4…
The Square Center
Study would review DEP permits to ‘get government out of the way’
The Center Square cited CEI on DEP permits An analysis from the Competitive Enterprise Institute found that DEP’s regional offices vary dramatically in the time it…
Blog
Fed hold interest rates steady, balance sheet concerns remain
The Federal Reserve decided to hold interest rates steady at its June 11-12 meeting. This is good news, but the bigger story isn’t about…
News Release
May inflation decreases slightly, signals a slowing economy: CEI analysis
The inflation report released for May shows overall inflation decreased from 3.4 percent to 3.3 percent. While inflation levels are unlikely to hit historic…
Blog
The end of the ‘economically significant’ rule
Friends and allies in the liberty movement still often refer to high-cost regulations from the Biden administration as “economically significant” rules. What…
News Release
Court Rules Against Improper SEC Regulation of Private Equity, Hedge Fund Managers
The 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals today ruled 3-0 against a controversial Securities and Exchange Commission 2023 rule regulating private equity and hedge fund…
News Release
Supreme Court Disappoints on Funding/Powers Question in Ruling in CFPB Case
The Supreme Court today issued a disappointing ruling in CFPB v. Community Financial Services Association of America, a lawsuit challenging the unchecked funding of…
News Release
No surprises with April’s inflation report: CEI analysis
Inflation rose 0.3 percent in April compared to 0.4 percent in March. While this wasn’t a surprise for economists, the news indicates a tough…
Blog
Navigating the maze of federal regulations in 2024: What to know
In a bureaucratic whirlwind, the 2024 Federal Register is attaining new heights, topping 41,000 pages today. An unsettling new norm for the past few weeks…
Comment
CEI comments opposing the worsening of Durbin Amendment debit card price controls
Re: Debit Card Interchange Fees and Routing (Docket No. R–1818, RIN 7100-AG67) Dear Ms. Misback: On behalf of the Competitive Enterprise Institute (CEI), I respectfully…
Issues & Insights
Want Higher Air Fares? Overregulate Credit Cards
Yesterday, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and the Department of Transportation held a joint hearing “investigating” airline and credit card reward programs. The Director and Secretary of…
Letters
Coalition Letter Re: Debit Card Interchange Fees and Routing (Docket No. R–1818, RIN 7100-AG67)
Dear Ms. Misback, The Federal Reserve’s (Fed) notice of proposed rulemaking (the Proposal) to amend Regulation II (Reg. II), which sets standards for debit…
Money
How Much Are Airline Rewards Really Worth? Biden Admin Probes Credit Card Programs
CEI’s Iain Murray’s blog posting was cited in Money about vacation miles: Iain Murray, vice president for strategy at the Competitive Enterprise Institute, wrote in…
Blog
Want higher air fares? Overregulate credit cards
This morning, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and the Department of Transportation are holding a joint hearing “investigating” airline and credit card reward programs.
Blog
How SAFER Banking Act poses new dangers to marijuana and other legal industries
Marijuana has been in the news lately, and the news seems to be overwhelmingly favorable to the industry in terms of reducing uncertainty as to…
Blog
Fed flirts with stimulus
As expected, the Federal Reserve signaled its commitment to fighting inflation by holding interest rates steady at this week’s Federal Open Market Committee meeting. It…
Blog
Weak GDP is first stress test for inflation fighters
I have been saying for a while that inflation expectations will remain high until policymakers prove they can restrain their stimulus spending during an economic…
News Release
CEI praises measure to overturn CFPB’s destructive price controls on credit card late fees
On Wednesday, the House Financial Services Committee is expected to approve a Congressional Review Act (CRA) resolution sponsored by Rep. Andy Barr (R-KY) to overturn…
American Institute for Economic Research
Biden Redoubles Effort to Crush Crypto With EIA’s Mining Survey
The Biden administration has launched yet another attack against the cryptocurrency industry–an environmental impact “survey” to bolster a politically motivated attack on the crypto mining…
Reason
Inflation Is So Back
CEI’s Ryan Young is cited on Reason about rising inflation: “If the Federal Reserve was thinking of cutting interest rates at its next meeting…
News Release
Inflation still too high to lower interest rates: CEI analysis
The Consumer Price Index report for March again read 0.4 percent, though the 12-month rate is now up to 3.5 percent. CEI senior economist…
Blog
This week in ridiculous regulations: Trademark fees and threatened sloths
A cargo ship struck and collapsed the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore. The psychologist and economist Daniel Kahneman died at age 90.
The National Desk
Federal Reserve keeps waiting for more data before cutting interest rates
CEI’s Ryan Young is cited on The National Desk about Federal Reserve interest rates: “The Fed has done just about all that it can…
News Release
Fed ignores congressional pressure and keeps interest rates steady: CEI analysis
On Wednesday, the Federal Reserve announced that it will keep interest rates steady in a continued effort to fight off inflation. CEI senior economist…
National Review
Critics of Capital One–Discover Merger Are Missing the Elephants
Blog
Classifying regulations is now more confusing thanks to Biden administration
Joe Biden’s Modernizing Regulatory Review executive order (E.O. 14094) raised the threshold for a “significant regulatory action” from $100 million to $200 million in…
Politico
Bank exec crackdown fades post-SVB
CEI’s John Berlau is cited in Politico regarding the exec crackdown’s subsiding: The free-market Competitive Enterprise Institute led a letter to Congress in February urging members…
News Release
Inflation numbers more nuanced than they seem: CEI analysis
The Consumer Price Index numbers released today for February 2024 shows inflation increased to 0.4 percent, up from 0.3 percent in January. CEI senior…
Blog
February inflation stays high, fiscal credibility remains a problem
Headline CPI inflation numbers sped up in February. Monthly inflation increased 0.3 percent in January, and 0.4 percent in February. Year-to-year inflation is 3.2…
Blog
One great moment in the budget battles: GOP’s ‘Policy Statement on Deregulation’
Today marks the release of the White House’s $7.3 trillion budget proposal for fiscal year 2025, even as policymakers continue their wrangling over the…
Letters
CEI Joins Coalition Letter Supporting H.R. 2799
Dear Representative: We, the undersigned organizations, write to you today to express our support for Representative Patrick McHenry’s H.R. 2799, the Expanding Access to Capital…
News Release
CFPB Price Controls on Late Fees Mean Less Credit, Higher Costs for Cardholders
Today, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) finalized a rule on credit card late fees that would do far more harm than good, according…
Blog
Where do regulations go when Congress shutters an agency?
The way the federal government spends money rarely changes until a crisis comes along. Arguably, we’re already there with federal debt service (interest) payments…
News Release
Economy in a healthy spot for further growth: CEI analysis
Today’s GDP numbers for the fourth quarter of 2023 showed economic growth stood at 3.2 percent, a slight downward trend compared to the third…
DC Journal
Economists, Free Market Groups Urge Congress to Reject RECOUP Act
CEI’s John Berlau is cited in DC Journal on outside groups to reject the RECOUP Act: That’s the concern of John Berlau with the Competitive…
News Release
Coalition Warns Against RECOUP Act that Gives Vast Powers to Banking Regulators
The Competitive Enterprise Institute and Americans for Tax Reform today led a coalition letter to congressional leaders opposing the RECOUP Act. CEI’s John Berlau explains…
Letters
CEI Leads Letter Rejecting Recoup Act
Dear Speaker Johnson, Minority Leader Jeffries, Majority Leader Schumer, and Minority Leader McConnell: As leaders of policy groups concerned with constitutional liberties, government accountability, and…
Blog
Worried about massive federal debt? Time to right-size the regulators
In the annals of federal bloat, a milestone is looming as noted in another post last week: 2024 interest payments on America’s $34 trillion…
Washington Examiner
Capital One merger could make Discover a rival to the largest credit cards in payments
CEI’s John Berlau is cited in the Washington Examiner on the credit-card merger: “Discover is currently in fourth place in card network size, far behind…
Fox Business
How Capital One’s acquisition of Discover could impact consumers
CEI’s John Berlau is cited in Fox Business on the acquisition: John Berlau, director of finance policy at the Competitive Enterprise Institute (CEI), said in…
News Release
Capital One/Discover Merger Not a Threat to Competition, Overregulation Is
The proposed merger between Capital One and Discover is not a threat to competition in the credit market, but there is one big looming threat…
