The American Financial Services Association (AFSA) held its 36th annual Independents Conference & Expo this week in Austin, Texas, at the brand new Fairmont Hotel.

In a speech yesterday outlining her vision for the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), Director Kathy Kraninger emphasized the importance of “… empowering consumers to help themselves, protect their own interests, and choose the financial products and services that best fit their needs…” The full text of the speech is here.Director Kraninger said that the CFPB’s tools to carry out its mission include education, regulation, supervision, and enforcement. Below are highlights on how the CFPB intends to use these tools.

Virginia C. “Ginger” Herring, President of Georgia-based 1st Franklin Financial Corporation, received AFSA’s Outstanding Independent Award on April 17 during AFSA’s 2019 Independents Conference & Exposition in Austin, Texas.

Join AFSA May 9, 2019 at 2 p.m. ET for PCI Compliance & Your Call Center presented by PayNearMe. Panelists will discuss the most common ways to accept payments in your call center and what your business needs to consider with each. Walk away with insight to help you chose a method that delivers the best customer experience as well as less risk for you and/or customers.

Financial Literacy Month (April) is well underway and the AFSA Education Foundation continues to actively promote its premier personal finance education offering, MoneySKILL®. A free online course, MoneySKILL was designed by experts and is endorsed by educators. It is used in all 50 states and over 40 foreign countries.

AFSA is presenting three top flight speakers at next week’s Independents Conference & Expo in Austin, Texas.

AFSA President & CEO Bill Himpler last Thursday met with Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) Director Kathy Kraninger. Himpler and Kraninger discussed a number of issues affecting consumer credit, including debt settlement companies.

The 1st Circuit Court of Appeals on Thursday April 4th accepted an amicus brief in Thompson v. JPMorgan Chase filed by AFSA and its sister trades. The trade associations are asking that the court grant Chase’s petition for rehearing or for rehearing en banc. The case has far-reaching consequences for the residential mortgage loan industry in Massachusetts. If rehearing is not granted, the decision may invalidate thousands of foreclosures already conducted in Massachusetts, resulting in consumer confusion and harm. Specifically, the decision has the potential to cloud title in thousands of mortgages in Massachusetts.

This month, AFSA joined with other trades and member companies in meetings at the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). The associations and members met with FCC Commissioner Michael O’Rielly, as well as advisors to Chairman Ajit Pai and Commissioner Brendan Carr.

On April 3, the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation passed S. 151, the Telephone Robocall Abuse Criminal Enforcement and Deterrence (TRACED) Act, by voice vote.