Feel Good Friday for Debt Collectors

In Letter to Credit Unions 25-CU-03 , the National Credit Union Administration (NCUA) announced its new exam scheduling policy. Effective January 1, 2025, federally insured credit unions (FICUs) will be examined according to the following schedule: 8 to 12 months following its last examination date FICUs with ANY of the following characteristics - A CAMELS rating of 3, 4, or 5, Considered less than well capitalized, An outstanding enforcement action, or Assets greater than or equal to $10 billion. FICUs with assets between $1 billion and $10 billion, and A CAMELS rating of 3, 4, or 5, or A change in CEO since its last examination. 12 to 16 months following its last examination date FICUs with assets between $1 billion and $10 billion, and A CAMELS rating of 1 or 2, and No change in CEO since its last examination. 14 to 18 months following its last examination date Federal credit unions (FCUs) not included above Once every 5 years Federally insured state-chartered credit unions (FISCUs) not included above The NCUA believes this revised schedule will allow it to better respond to emerging risks and priorities using available resources. It is important to note that nothing in the new schedule limits the NCUA's authority to examine any FICU as frequently as the agency deems necessary.

Back in December 2023, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) adopted a new rule amending the prior express written consent requirements under the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA). That rulemaking would have done a couple of things. First, it would have clarified that a consumer’s prior express written consent can apply to not more than one seller. In other words, the rule would have prevented a company from obtaining a consumer’s consent to the receipt of advertising and telemarketing messages both for itself as well as its affiliates. Second, the rule would have required that a consumer’s consent be logically and topically associated with the interaction that prompted the consent. That second requirement was particularly concerning for financial institutions. The language of the rulemaking seemed to suggest that an institution that captured prior express written consent at the time of account opening could not later rely on that same consent for purposes of sending advertising or telemarketing messages related to loans, credit cards, or other non-deposit products. The Insurance Marketing Coalition asked for a judicial review of the rulemaking at the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals. On January 24, 2025, that court vacated the new requirements. In its order, the court found that the FCC exceeded its statutory authority because the amendments to the definition of prior express written consent impermissibly conflicted with the statutory definition of the same term under the TCPA.