The failure of the bank regulators to protect consumers is a systematic problem that has stretched over at least several decades.

For years, federal bank regulators looked the other way; now Congress has a chance to reform our system of checks and balances, make banks accountable, and protect consumers from abusive financial products that caused our current economic crisis

As Congress considers how to address improving consumer protection and regulation of our financial system going forward over the next several months, we offer six essential principles for achieving true regulatory reform.

Kathleen Keest, Senior Policy Counsel at CRL, testified before the House Financial Services Committee on CRL's support for a strong, state-of-the-art consumer protection agency for financial products -- provided that the agency is independent of the companies it regulates, and fully transparent and accountable to the public.

This summary focuses only on the consumer protection component of the Obama Administration’s Financial Regulatory Reform proposal.

CRL's brief on behalf of the petitioners seeking certiorari from the United States Supreme Court in Andrews v. Chevy Chase Bank. CRL represents a Wisconsin couple, who was one of thousands of borrowers who received identical disclosure statements for Chevy Chase Bank payment option adjustment rate mortgages that violated the Truth in Lending Act. CRL asks the Supreme Court to review the decision of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 7th Circuit that lawsuit seeking to rescind their loan based on Truth in Lending Act violations cannot proceed as class actions.

CRL's complaint on behalf of the plaintiffs in Rosa v. Federal Home Loan Mortgage Co. CRL, co-counseling with Legal Services of Northern Virginia, represents a couple in Fairfax County, Virginia who allege they signed a loan modification offer mailed by their lender and made all the payments the modification required. Nevertheless, their lender auctioned their home at a foreclosure sale and served them with an eviction notice. The case, which alleges the lender breached its contract with the homeowners, committed fraud, engaged in inequitable conduct that voided the foreclosure sale, and committed violated various common-law torts, was filed in Fairfax County Circuit Court and removed to the U.S. District Court.

CRL's comments on proposed housing goals for Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac support incentives to modify distressed mortgages.

Congress has an opportunity to prevent another mortgage fiasco by passing stronger protections on home lending.

CRL's brief on behalf of the petitioners seeking certiorari from the United States Supreme Court in Andrews v. Chevy Chase Bank. CRL represents a Wisconsin couple, who was one of thousands of borrowers who received identical disclosure statements for Chevy Chase Bank payment option adjustment rate mortgages that violated the Truth in Lending Act. CRL asks the Supreme Court to review the decision of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 7th Circuit that lawsuit seeking to rescind their loan based on Truth in Lending Act violations cannot proceed as class actions.