The Pew Charitable Trusts released a report on installment loans entitled State Laws Put Installment Loan Borrowers at Risk: How outdated policies discourage safer lending. It is important to note that this title is misleading to readers and negates a generally positive report on installment lending and the important role it plays in the lives of millions of Americans.

Join us on Tuesday, November 6 at 2 p.m. ET as ACI Worldwide presents Text Talk: Customer Engagement & Payments Go Mobile.

Episode 3: October 16th, 2018: Danielle Fagre Arlowe, Senior Vice President, AFSA: In this podcast, Danielle Fagre Arlowe shares how she and her team stay on top of issues in 50 states and how proposed legislation or regulation could affect AFSA’s member companies.

Join us on Tuesday, November 13 at 2:00 p.m. ET for Speedpay® Pulse: Consumer Research Reveals Preference for Traditional Payment Options, presented by Speedpay.

The following article is part of AFSA's Business Partner Webinar Series. You can learn more during PayNearMe's webinar on Wednesday, Oct. 17 at 2 p.m. ET entitled Top Five Lending Trends for 2019. Registration is open now.

AFSA’s State Government Affairs (SGA) team this week published its white paper on the California Consumer Privacy Act. The paper takes an in-depth look at California's new privacy law, which was signed by Governor Brown this June and becomes effective in January 2020. The law is similar to the European General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and has significant effects on the financial services community. The paper is also available under the State Resources section of AFSA’s website.On September 7, AFSA presented a webinar on the new privacy law, featuring Rick Fischer with Morrison Foerster and Meghan Musselman of Hudson Cook. Members can view a recording, download slides and review extensive Q&A’s from the presented in the Webinar Resource Center.

On Oct. 1, AFSA wrote to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) asking that it clarify that indirect finance companies qualify for a 20 percent deduction the way direct lenders do.

On September 28, the Connecticut Department of Banking issued a memo announcing a no action position regarding Section 97 of HB 5490/Public Act 18-173, which amended state law to require sales finance companies to collect and maintain records of the ethnicity, race and sex of applicants and co-applicants for retail installment contracts starting October 1. The Department’s memo states that the Department has formally requested that the Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection (BCFP) provide an official interpretation as to whether the state’s requirements are consistent with Regulation B. The memo indicates that the no action position will remain until the Department receives further guidance from the BCFP.

The following article is part of AFSA's Business Partner Webinar Series. You can learn more during Equifax's webinar on Oct. 2 at 2 p.m. ET entitled Verify to Clarify – Know More About Your Customers to Help Grow & Increase your Portfolio Profitability. Registration is open now.

AFSA’s State Government Affairs (SGA) team this week published its White Paper on the 2018 Gubernatorial Elections Preview, examining the races in states that will hold elections.