Policy Watch: The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's Consumer Research: Mission Accomplished?

Abstract

This article introduces readers to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), a federal agency created under the Dodd–Frank Act to protect consumers of financial services and products. The CFPB has an important mission to ensure consumers have clear and timely information about consumer financial products and services in the marketplace so they can make the best decisions for themselves, as well as to foster competition and prevent unfair, deceptive, or abusive acts or practices. This article discusses some of the CFPB's rulemakings and other initiatives to achieve this transparency for consumers and questions whether the agency has conducted sufficient consumer research. The article suggests ways in which the CFPB could improve its work. Finally, the article briefly addresses how academic research may be able to assist the CFPB with its mission.

Keywords

economics of information disclosure regulatory policy consumer finance

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