This week, AFSA provided information to the Department of the Treasury on how our members are promoting financial inclusion for the American consumer. The Presidential Commission for Financial Inclusion at U.S. Treasury Department is developing a national strategy for financial inclusion, and AFSA endorsed its formation and has been engaged with this project since its inception. […]

AFSA is pleased to confirm that two-time NBA champion, college All-American, and award-winning broadcaster Kenny Smith will serve as the 2024 Champions Club keynote speaker at the 2024 Independents Conference and Expo. Known throughout his basketball career by the nickname “The Jet,” Kenny Smith today co-hosts the top-rated “Inside The NBA,” alongside Charles Barkley, Ernie […]

AFSA’s February State Government Affairs white paper is now available. This month’s white paper delves into vehicle data privacy. As the prevalence of vehicle automation and data processing rises in the automotive industry, the use of this data will increasingly attract attention from regulators, consumers, and industry stakeholders. While only a few states have developed comprehensive privacy guidelines specifically addressing vehicle data, privacy concerns […]

As of yesterday, both the House and the Senate are in “recess” for the upcoming week of President’s Day. A quick glance at the congressional calendar for the year shows that about twenty recess weeks, or state work periods, are scheduled for 2024. This number is a little higher than normal due to the presidential election, […]

Last week, the State Government Affairs team at AFSA sent a comment letter to the New York Senate regarding the proposed regulations for the New York Junk Fee Prevention Act. In the letter AFSA highlights concerns with the proposal and its wide-ranging scope and ambiguous wording which creates uncertainty for financial services. The letter expresses that […]

Consumer credit balances reached a record $17.5 trillion in the fourth quarter of 2023, according to the Federal Reserve Bank of New York’s latest Quarterly Report on Household Debt and Credit, which draws on data from the bank’s Consumer Credit Panel and Equifax. That was an increase of $212 billion, or 1.2 percent, from the third quarter and […]

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) recently released a notice of proposed rulemaking concerning “unfair or deceptive fees.” AFSA commented on the proposed rule this week, agreeing with the FTC that consumers should be protected from hidden or misleading fees and explaining that in the financial services market they already are. With this rulemaking, the FTC is attempting to eliminate: […]

Strengthen every relationship you build. Gain more impact and influence in your life and your business at AFSA’s 2024 Independents Conference & Expo. AFSA is pleased to announce that Lt. Col. (ret.) Scott Mann will keynote the 2024 Independents Conference & Expo at the Marriott Harbor Beach in Fort Lauderdale, Fl., May 20-23. Described as […]

As Congressional members continue to announce retirements and election match-ups become more clear, much speculation has been put into how committee leadership will change following the 2024 elections. The process to determine chairs and ranking members differs across the two bodies and the two parties but relies generally on the same structure. Senate: Committee assignments are […]

AFSA joined with the National Association of Industrial Bankers, the Utah Bankers Association, and the Nevada Bankers Association in a letter to all Senators in opposition to S. 3538, the misnamed “Close the Shadow Banking Loophole Act,” introduced at the end of last year. The associations explained that the bill would reduce credit and financing […]