Last week, the Baltimore Sun ran an opinion piece that inaccurately conflated  payday lenders with traditional installment lenders.  While we appreciate the authors’ concern with consumer protection, the focus should be on arming consumers with facts that allow them to make fully informed decisions about their finances. There is a real difference between payday loans […]

This week, the American Financial Services Association (AFSA) sent a letter to the House Committee on Oversight and Reform to share its perspective on recent trends in regulation and regulatory reform.  AFSA shares Congress’ views that we should be vigilant in addressing the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. AFSA urges Congress to use a […]

Tomorrow, September 9 at 3:30 p.m. ET, AFSA Senior Vice President Danielle Fagre Arlowe will represent AFSA at the Nationwide Multistate Licensing System (NMLS) Ombudsman Virtual Meeting. Arlowe will present on the importance of remote work for state-licensed financial institutions. NMLS is encouraging participants to register before the virtual meeting begins. As part of its […]

We in DC – and Cal Ripken fans everywhere – just celebrated the 25th Anniversary of his breaking Lou Gehrig’s consecutive-games-played record. Hear the stories of that season … and better yet, ask the Iron Man himself about it! Watch some of the highlights of September 6,1995 … feel inspired again … and register below! Be sure to register by Sept. 15th to […]

George Fussell, President & CEO of SAFCO was recently appointed to the AFSA Board of Directors. He also serves on the Independents Section Board, Independent Auto Finance Executives Group and the State Government Affairs Committee. Starting in 1979, Mr. Fussell grew his used car dealership to be the largest independent dealer in the state of […]

If you require a resource while we upgrade afsaonline.org, please reach out to an AFSA staff member directly. Alternatively, send an email to communications@afsamail.org. We’re happy to help.

This morning, AFSA is launching a new and completely re-designed afsaonline.org. You may notice some odd behavior over the next several hours as make this transition. Additionally, your profile and meeting registration will be unavailable. We hope to restore the site to full functionality this afternoon. Thank you for your patience as the AFSA team […]

The objectives of the bipartisan, bicameral legislation, Jobs and Neighborhood Investment Act, are laudable. These bills, H.R. 7709 and S. 4255, direct billions in new investments to help low-income and minority communities withstand this unprecedented economic downturn and emerge stronger with increased access to capital and new economic opportunities. As the cosponsors of the legislation explain, the […]

This week AFSA’s State Government Affairs (SGA) team published a white paper on Optional Protection Products. Optional protection products—sometimes referred to as ancillary or voluntary protection products—are sold and financed in connection with a credit agreement to offer borrowers peace of mind or additional protections.   The peace of mind makes optional protection products popular with consumers. In fact, a 2017 survey from the University of Michigan […]

This week, AFSA joined other trade groups in commenting on the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) proposed rulemaking to implement the TRACED Act. Specifically, the trades expressed support for the FCC’s goal of eliminating illegal robocalls, but emphasized the importance of preventing legitimate calls from being erroneously blocked. Under the TRACED Act, redress mechanisms must be […]