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Wisconsin AG seeks to stop Elon Musk's $1M payments at rally giveaway; Rural advocates urge CA lawmakers to safeguard banking protections; Federal, state job cuts threaten FL workers' rights, services; Alabama counties lack high-speed internet and health access.

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President Trump says there are ways for him to take a third term. New tariffs are scheduled for this week, but economists say they'll hurt buying power. And advocates say the Trans Day of Visibility is made more important by state legislation.

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Rural folks face significant clean air and water risks due to EPA cutbacks, a group of policymakers is working to expand rural health care via mobile clinics, and a new study maps Montana's news landscape.

NYers brace for effects of higher bank fees, dismantling CFPB

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Tuesday, February 18, 2025   

Some New York members of Congress are trying to repeal bank overdraft fee regulations.

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau created a rule capping account overdraft fees at $5, which the agency estimates could save people nationwide $5 billion.

But a bill coming up for a vote in the U.S. House this week would repeal it, allowing banks to charge up to $35 for these fees.

Rebecca Garrard, interim co-executive director of Citizen Action of New York, said overdraft fees often harm those who can least afford them.

"It's devastating," said Garrard, "and it contributes to debt that people are unable to remove themselves from, and exacerbates a crisis of poverty and affordability that's already problematic."

Though some New York U.S. Representatives, like Rep. Dan Goldman, D-Manhattan, favor maintaining the overdraft fee limitations, others, like Rep. Mike Lawler, R-Pearl River, are under pressure to end these protections.

New York is among the states that have also addressed this issue. In 2022, the Department of Financial Services developed a rule reducing or eliminating some of the fees banks can charge.

The bill is seen as one of many moves to undermine the CFPB. The agency's acting director, Russell Vought, implemented a stop work order and numerous employees were laid off - until a federal judge blocked the layoffs.

Christine Chen Zinner, senior policy counsel for Americans for Financial Reform, said the stop work order is a green light for financial companies to defraud and gouge customers.

"I mean, every corporate bad actor in finance has a free pass from the Trump administration to make life more expensive and less fair for families all over the country," Zinner observed.

A CFPB report finds 81% of households that frequently incur overdraft fees had difficulty paying bills in the last year.

A 2024 Data for Progress poll finds voters across the political spectrum approve of the agency's mission, although most aren't fully aware of its role.



Disclosure: Americans for Financial Reform contributes to our fund for reporting on Budget Policy & Priorities, Campaign Finance Reform/Money in Pol, Social Justice. If you would like to help support news in the public interest, click here.


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