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Federal regulator fights state regulation of prediction markets – a gain for ordinary entrepreneurs and investors
Today, Commodity Futures Trading Commission Mike Selig announced actions to attempt to block state regulation of prediction markets that offer contracts on sports and political…
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Housing bill aids affordability through deregulation
Last night, the U.S. House of Representatives passed by 390-9 the bipartisan Housing for the 21st Century Act. CEI scholars highlight the bill’s most…
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Trump’s pick for Fed chair spurs doubt on key issues
President Trump has decided on a nominee for the next Federal Reserve chair – Kevin Warsh, financier, bank executive, and former Federal Reserve Board of…
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Trump ban on institutional investors will harm housing affordability
President Trump today called for a government ban on “large institutional investors” purchasing single-family homes. While the ban may be aimed at making housing…
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Rescheduling marijuana to a less restrictive category will benefit liberty and public health
President Trump signed an executive order today intended to fast track the rescheduling of cannabis from a Schedule I substance, the same as heroin,…
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Visa and Mastercard settlement with US merchants will cause confusion for consumers and harm community banks
Visa and Mastercard have reached a settlement in their 20-year-long legal battle with US merchants. The settlement gives merchants the ability to reject reward-based credit…
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CFPB budget woes underscore fundamental problems with bureau’s set up
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) may run out of money soon, according to news reports. The bureau has been controversial from the start due…
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Trump’s call to end corporate quarterly reporting mandates would boost competitiveness, end onerous regulation
President Trump today used a social media post to call on the SEC to end quarterly reporting mandates for publicly traded companies and instead move…
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Courts should allow CFPB to vacate case against small mortgage firm
U.S. District Judge Franklin Valderrama on June 12 denied a request by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau to vacate a Biden-era settlement against the Chicago-based mortgage…
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Coalition urges Commodity Futures Trading Commission cut red tape on prediction markets
The Competitive Enterprise Institute today sent a coalition letter to the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) urging it to adopt a policy of permissionless innovation…
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President Trump announces Executive Orders aimed at slashing overregulation within federal agencies: CEI analysis
On Wednesday, President Trump announced several Executive Orders aimed at slashing overregulation in federal agencies through sunsetting and repealing outdated or unnecessary rules. The Orders…
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CFPB seeks to un-do lawsuit against small mortgage firm: CEI statement
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau this week took the unusual step of requesting to vacate a lawsuit and settlement penalizing a small Chicago-based mortgage…
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Trump administration appoints free market champion Mark Calabria to OMB post: CEI statement
The Trump administration has appointed free market advocate Mark Calabria as Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Associate Director for Treasury, Housing, and Commerce. CEI’s…
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Bill capping credit card interest rates will curb consumer credit options: CEI analysis
Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) today introduced legislation to cap credit card interest rates at ten percent, a plan that would have…
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Trump’s pick for acting CFPB director is good news for consumers & financial innovation
CEI Director of Finance Policy John Berlau praised President Trump’s pick to act as head of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, following the firing of…
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Trump EO on digital currency welcomes innovation in cryptocurrency
President Trump today signed a pro-digital currency executive order establishing a President’s Working Group on Digital Asset Markets, within the National Economic Council, aimed…
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Trump nominee for SEC will refocus agency on core mission
President-elect Trump has nominated prior SEC commissioner Paul Atkins as chair of the agency, a move that CEI Director of Finance Policy John Berlau believes…
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Biden DOJ’s antitrust lawsuit against Visa unfounded
The Biden Justice Department today announced an antitrust lawsuit against Visa, alleging the company illegally monopolized the debit card market by enticing merchants away from…
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Fed reduces interest rates by 50 basis points: CEI analysis
The Federal Reserve today cut interest rates by 50 basis points, the first rate reduction in over two years. CEI experts give their analysis…
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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…
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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…
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Supreme Court curtails SEC administrative law court powers
The U.S. Supreme Court today ruled that a hedge fund manager accused of securities fraud is entitled to a jury trial because the Securities and…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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CFPB Overdraft Proposal Would Harm Consumers
Today, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau – as part of the Biden administration’s whole-of-government crusade against “junk fees” – unveiled a proposed rule that…
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Report: Energy Tax Targeting Crypto Industry – Bad Idea for a New Year
A new Competitive Enterprise Institute report investigates whether the energy usage of certain cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin merits a targeted electricity tax on the industry…
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A Supreme Court ruling against CFPB would benefit consumers: CEI analysis
Today, the Supreme Court will hear oral arguments in CFPB v. CFSA, in which the Court will decide if the CFPB’s funding structure, which bypasses…
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Grayscale Decision Curtails “Arbitrary and Capricious” SEC and Enhances Investor Options
Today, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit unanimously ruled in Grayscale Investments v. SEC that the Securities and Exchange Commission’s denial…
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Court Ruling on Ripple Cryptocurrency Case Curbs SEC Powers
A federal court has weighed in on whether a prominent cryptocurrency can be regulated by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) as a security…
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SEC’s Case Against Coinbase Threatens All U.S. Entrepreneurs
John Berlau, CEI Director of Finance Policy, today criticized the SEC for its ill-founded lawsuit targeting Coinbase: “The Securities and Exchange…
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Congress Must Examine First Republic’s Woke Financing and Risk Management Regulation
Regulators today seized the failed First Republic bank and sold its operations to JPMorgan Chase. CEI financial policy expert John Berlau reiterated the need for…
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Supreme Court Ruling Ensures People Can Challenge Agency Authority in Court
The Supreme Court ruled today that regulatory agency tribunals do not have any special expertise in deciding constitutional law questions; therefore, district courts can hear…
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Congress Shouldn’t Compound Silicon Valley Bank Collapse with Bailouts and Bad Ideas
The Silicon Valley Bank collapse has spurred some terrible policymaking ideas in Congress, exacerbating bad decisions by the bank that has led to its collapse.
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Supreme Court Rightly to Review CFPB Funding Constitutionality
The Supreme Court today announced it will review the constitutionality of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s (CFPB) funding, an unusual arrangement of unchecked funding from…
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CFPB Cap on Credit Card Late Fees = Price Controls that Raise Cost of Credit for Everyone
The Biden White House is touting a new proposed rule from the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau that would cap most credit card late fees…
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FTX Crypto Problems Reveal SEC Shortcomings, As Well: CEI Analysis
The current collapse of cryptocurrency company FTX has exposed another festering problem with how the industry is being regulated, says CEI Senior Fellow John Berlau:…
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Biden Wrong About “Junk Fees” in Sweeping Government Mandate
Today the Biden administration announced a new whole-of-government initiative against “junk fees” from airlines, banking, and other industries. But what he is calling junk fees aren’t…
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Court Rules CFPB Funding Structure Unconstitutional: CEI Statements
A Fifth Circuit panel ruled Wednesday that the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s unusual funding structure is unconstitutional, in a lawsuit brought by a small-dollar (payday)…
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Bipartisan Cryptocurrency Bill Takes Good Steps for American Innovation
Today, Senators Lummis and Gillibrand released their much anticipated bill on cryptocurrency regulation. CEI financial policy expert John Berlau praised aspects of the bill…
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SEC Climate Disclosure Rule Will Cause Big Problems, CEI Experts Predict
Today the Securities and Exchange Commission described a new rule it plans to impose concerning climate disclosure requirements that may affect even private companies as…
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After Bloom Raskin Withdrawal, Biden Should Nominate Someone Focused on Financial Stability, Monetary Policy
President Biden’s nominee to be Federal Reserve Vice Chair for Supervision Sarah Bloom Raskin withdrew her nomination from consideration today, after it became clear that…
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CEI Statement: Biden Executive Order to Target Crypto for Regulation
The White House is set to release an executive order today regulating cryptocurrency. CEI Senior Fellow John Berlau expressed concerns about the order and the…
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CEI Joins AEA in Opposing Sarah Bloom Raskin’s Nomination to Federal Reserve
The Competitive Enterprise Institute (CEI) signed onto a letter by the American Energy Alliance (AEA) opposing the White House’s nomination of Sarah Bloom…
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Biden Bank Regulator Nominee Withdraws Due to Bipartisan Opposition
President Biden’s pick for Comptroller of the Currency withdrew today after critics, including the Competitive Enterprise Institute, exposed her many statements sympathetic to communism. CEI…
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Senators Should Reject Comptroller of Currency Nominee Saule Omarova
WASHINGTON – In a hearing today, Senators on the Banking Committee will consider the nomination of Saule Omarova to be Comptroller of the Currency. …
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President Biden Signs Problematic Crypto Provisions into Law
WASHINGTON – President Joe Biden signed the bipartisan infrastructure bill into law today, including more than one trillion dollars in government spending. In addition to…
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CEI Experts Weigh In on Reconciliation Framework Agreed to by White House and Congressional Democrats
WASHINGTON – The White House and congressional democrats announced agreement on a “framework” for a reconciliation bill that will spend nearly $2 trillion and includes…
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Senate Should Weigh Disturbing Writings of Biden’s CFPB Nominee and Reform Unaccountable Agency
Today the Senate is expected to vote on President Biden’s nominee to head the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, Rohit Chopra. CEI Senior Fellow John…
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China Cryptocurrency Ban A Lesson For US: CEI statement
China’s plans to ban private cryptocurrency is terrible but also offers a lesson and opportunity for US policymakers, says Competitive Enterprise Institute financial policy expert…
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Senate-Passed Infrastructure Bill Is a Gigantic, Counterproductive Spending Bill: CEI Analysis
The Senate today passed a complicated, controversial $1 trillion bipartisan infrastructure bill. CEI policy experts criticized the mammoth bill as a plan that will do…
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CEI Experts React to President Biden’s Wide-Ranging Executive Order on Competition
President Joe Biden signed an Executive Order on Promoting Competition in the American Economy today, which the White House claims is aimed at enhancing…
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House Should Be True to America’s Credit Need and Reject Anti-True Lender Resolution
The House is expected to vote soon on a resolution that would un-do a valuable Trump-era deregulatory rule called the “True Lender” rule. CEI led…
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Mark Calabria Had Excellent Stewardship of Fannie, Freddie While at Federal Housing Finance Agency
On news today that President Biden is replacing Trump appointee Mark Calabria as head of the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA), which oversees government-sponsored enterprises…
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House Judiciary Committee Antitrust Bills Would Compromise U.S. as Global Leader on Tech and Harm Consumers
Several antitrust bills were introduced today by members of the House Judiciary Committee, including the “American Innovation and Choice Online Act,” the “Platform Competition and…
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House Financial Services Committee Should Look for Ways to Empower Middle Class Investors Post-Gamestop Controversy
A House Financial Services Committee hearing revisits GameStop-Robinhood-Reddit controversy from February, in which ordinary retail investors – fueled by social media-platforms – bested hedge funds…
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House-passed SAFE Banking Act Would End Federal Threat to Banks Dealing with Legal Cannabis Businesses
The House has passed a bill allowing banks to do business with cannabis companies, the SAFE Banking Act. While Senate action on the bill…
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Regulators Should Let Cryptocurrency Firms Follow in Coinbase Footsteps
The successful cryptocurrency exchange platform Coinbase is poised to go public on April 14 amid high anticipation. CEI Senior Fellow John Berlau urges federal…
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Report: APR Calculation Misleading as Applied to Short-Term Loan Costs
A new Competitive Enterprise Institute report criticizes efforts by lawmakers and activists to impose a cap on small-dollar, short-term loans based on a hypothetical…
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Senate Should Question Biden SEC, CFPB Nominees About Needed Constraints on Regulators
Today, the Senate Banking Committee is considering President Biden’s nomination of both Gary Gensler to head the SEC and Rohit Chopra to head the CFPB.
News Release
House Hearing on Robinhood/GameStop Controversy Should Focus on Helping, Not Restricting Investors
On February 18 (tomorrow), the House Financial Services Committee will hold a hearing on the recent Robinhood-GameStop controversy. CEI Senior Fellow John Berlau cautioned…
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CEI Praises Biden Decision Suspending ‘Fair Access’ Banking Rule
President Biden’s Office of the Comptroller of the Currency today announced that it was halting publication of a final banking rule, pending review. The late…
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Senate Should Question Biden’s Choice to Head CFPB, Rohit Chopra, on Fair Process for Regulating Businesses
The Senate should question President-elect Biden’s nominee to head the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau out of concern that businesses get fair treatment in the regulatory…
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New Bank Fair Access Rule Will Cause Costly State of Uncertainty, Red Tape
Today the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, an independent bureau within the United States Department of the Treasury, finalized a new mandate…
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Biden’s SEC Pick Should Focus on Commission’s Core Mission, Not Political Causes: CEI Experts
President-elect Biden is reportedly set to select Gary Gensler to head the Securities and Exchange Commission. Gensler is a current MIT professor who previously served…
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CFPB Taskforce Offers Recommendations to Help Consumers, Fintech Firms
In response to a new report from the CFPB Taskforce on Federal Consumer Financial Law, CEI Senior Fellow John Berlau praised recommendations aimed at helping…
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CFPB Makes Needed Changes to Qualified Mortgage Rules
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau today issued final rules related to qualified mortgage loans, which require lenders to determine at the onset that consumers…
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Corporate Transparency Act Threatens Small Businesses, Privacy Rights
The House today is expected to pass a controversial bill impacting a wide swath of American businesses, as part of the must-pass National Defense Authorization…
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Comptroller Plan to Impose ‘Fairness Doctrine’ for Banks Goes Against Freedom of Association
CEI Senior Fellow John Berlau criticized a proposal by the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) to impose a “fairness doctrine”…
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New CEI Report Finds Bipartisan Embrace of Harmful, Interventionist Tech Policies
Neither major political party holds a monopoly on bad ideas when it comes to federal policy towards the technology sector, according to a…
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SEC Takes Step Towards Equality, Against Privilege with Change to Accredited Investor Rule
Today the Securities and Exchange Commission announced action to liberalize so-called accredited investor regulation. John Berlau, a longtime proponent of such reform, praised the decision.
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Repeal #NeverNeeded Regulations Hindering Use of Tech at Home During Deadly Pandemic
The COVID-19 crisis has severely tested individuals and businesses, making access to technologies and services that enabled large swaths of the American economy to move…
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CFPB Offers Relief on Small Dollar Loans
Today, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) released its long-awaited final rewrite of the payday lending rule, formally titled the Payday, Vehicle Title, and Certain…
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Report: FedNow and FedCoin are Dangerous Expansions of Federal Reserve Power
A new Competitive Enterprise Institute report criticizes proposals for a central bank-issued cryptocurrency, which many call Fedcoin or digital dollar, as well as the Fed’s…
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CFPB Signals New Policies for Small-Dollar Lending, Mortgages
Just prior to Memorial Day weekend, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau on May 22 announced two No-Action Letter Templates that will impact small-dollar lending and…
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Broad Alliance of Financial Services and Public Interest Groups File Petition for Rulemaking Challenging SEC’s Unlawful Regulation by Enforcement
The need for our government to set forth consistent, predictable rules has never been greater, and the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) is no exception. …
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Libra Cryptocurrency Progress May Aid COVID-19 Economic Recovery
The Libra Association today announced progress made on modifying its Facebook-developed cryptocurrency and payment system to meet regulatory concerns.
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Congress Should Reject Scheme to Use COVID-19 Stimulus to Impose Interest Rate Cap
Special interest groups are pressuring Congress to use the Coronavirus Stimulus Phase III bill as a vehicle for imposing a nationwide interest rate cap on…
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CEI Experts Blast Attempts to Politicize COVID-19 Relief Bill
While the nation suffers, Washington has descended into an unseemly squabble over the latest COVID-19 relief bill. Politicians from all quarters are attempting to expand…
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CEI Board Member Todd Zywicki to Head CFPB Task Force on Consumer Financial Law
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) today announced that Competitive Enterprise Institute (CEI) board member and George Mason University Foundation Professor of Law Todd Zywicki…
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House Hearing on Proposed Cryptocurrency Premature, Focus Should Be on Regulatory Barriers to Innovation
Ahead of a House Financial Services Committee hearing focused on Libra, a new cryptocurrency proposed by Facebook and other entities, Competitive Enterprise Institute experts John…
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Supreme Court to Hear Lawsuit on CFPB Unconstitutionality: CEI Statements
On news today that the United States Supreme Court will hear a constitutional challenge to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, CEI experts said they were…
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Court Ruling Curtails Government Power in Fannie/Freddie Case
Competitive Enterprise Institute General Counsel Sam Kazman praised a Friday, Sept. 6 ruling by the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit related…
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GSE Reform Proposal a Positive Step Towards Reducing Government Role in Housing Finance
The Treasury Department today released a proposal aimed at reforming Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, both Government Sponsored Entities or "GSEs." According to the proposal,…
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Federal Reserve’s FedNow Payments Processing System Illegal and Misguided
The Federal Reserve today announced plans to set up a payment processing system called “FedNow.”…
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Banks, Credit Unions Should Not Be Threatened for Doing Business with Cannabis Industry
Cannabis businesses have real trouble securing banking services, due to the fact their product remains illegal under federal law. Today the Senate Banking Committee held…
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Heavy-Handed Regulations Could Deny Consumers the Benefits of New Facebook Cryptocurrency
The House Financial Services Committee will hold a hearing todayfocused on Facebook’s new cryptocurrency, “Libra.” The hearing will consider the cryptocurrency’s impact on consumers, investors and…
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Mnuchin Pushes Discredited Arguments Against Cryptocurrency
On news today that Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin warned against Facebook’s proposed digital currency, Libra, as a national security risk and potential boon to “money…
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Senate Bill Targets Big Tech but Empowers Regulators over Consumers or Investors
Senate lawmakers Mark Warner (D-VA) and Josh Hawley (R-MO) have a new bill to force Big Tech firms (like Facebook, Google, and Amazon) to calculate…
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Regulators Should Let Consumers and Merchants Decide the Fate of Facebook’s Cryptocurrency
Facebook, Inc. today released a white paper outlining plans to launch a new cryptocurrency named “Libra.” According to the white paper, Libra would be built…
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SEC Threatens Access to Cryptocurrency and Other Digital Goods
The Competitive Enterprise Institute today released a report warning that government regulation of cryptocurrency as a “security” threatens innovation in financial transactions and other consumer…
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Senate Plan to Reform Mortgage Giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac Would Make Things Worse for Taxpayers, Consumers
Senate Banking Committee chairman Mike Crapo released a proposal today to reform mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, but the plan creates a big…
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CEI Commends Trump Nominee to Oversee Housing Finance Agency
President Trump has nominated economist Mark Calabria to head the agency in charge of supervising government-sponsored mortgage loan buyers Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. The…
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CEI Hopes New Director of Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection Will Continue Tough-But-Fair Approach to Regulation
Competitive Enterprise Institute Senior Fellow John Berlau praised today’s Senate confirmation of President Trump’s nominee to head the powerful Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection (BCFP)…
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Senate Should Confirm Trump Nominee for Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection: CEI Statements
This week, the United States Senate is expected to vote on President Trump’s nominee to head the powerful Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection. CEI financial…
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Ten Year Anniversary of Financial Crisis and Nothing Has Improved
It’s been 10 years since investment bank Lehman Brothers filed for bankruptcy as of September 15, marking the epicenter of the infamous 2008 financial crisis.
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Supreme Court Asked to Hear Challenge to Constitutionality of Consumer Financial Protection Bureau
The State National Bank of Big Spring, Texas, the Competitive Enterprise Institute (CEI), and the 60 Plus Association on September 6 petitioned the United States…
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CEI Endorses Trump Nominee for Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection
Competitive Enterprise Institute Senior Fellow John Berlau expressed CEI’s support for President Trump’s nominee to head the Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection:…