WASHINGTON–With both credit union trade groups pressing Congress to bring fintechs under the same regulatory umbrella as other financial institutions, one of the key questions to be asking is what happens when things go wrong, according to NAFCU.
Credit union trade groups have called on Congress to ensure a “level playing field” between unregulated fintechs and credit unions. A number of fintechs have in the last year seen strong user growth into the millions of customers. Congress held a hearing on the issue last week.
“What we saw from the hearing is there are still a lot of questions,” said NAFCU EVP and General Counsel Carrie Hunt. “We are going to see more hearings on this issue. I think, ultimately, there is going to be a lot of disagreement as to what that regulation should look like. There is agreement that traditional financial providers can find value in partners, including fintechs, which can innovate quickly. It’s when they go one step further that begs the question around safety and soundness. We think credit unions provide the best option for consumers cradle to grave. These apps to move cash around quickly have a very finite purpose. The consumer really likes them until there is a problem, such as fraud, and then they end up going back to their credit unions. This is about a fair playing field.”
Regulatory Rollbacks’
Separately, the Biden Administration continues to roll back a number of Trump Administration rules and regulations, most recently around fair housing
Hunt said NAFCU is watching the moves being made by the Biden Administration, as it strongly supports a “deregulatory agenda.”
“If there is re-regulation, we want it to be necessary regulation,” said Hunt. “That’s how we view these rollbacks. We strongly support fair housing. Generally, it’s not the intent of regulation we have an issue with, its regulatory burden and whether it’s necessary to achieve those goals. Generally, there are other ways to achieve those goals.”
When the government shutdown hit in October and paychecks stopped, thousands of federal employees were left wondering how to make ends meet. Credit unions across the country stepped up—but Keesler Federal Credit Union went above and beyond. No loans, no hassle—just your paycheck Instead of making members apply for emergency loans, Keesler Federal launched its Paycheck Relief Program. Revolutionary in its simplicity, it worked like this: if you were a federal employee with direct deposit at Keesler Federal, your paycheck kept coming—interest-free, fee-free, and stress-free. Each qualified member could receive up to $6,000 per pay period for as long as 90 days. No hoops, no headaches. From October 1 until the shutdown ended, Keesler Federal advanced more than 5,000 paychecks totaling $6.5 million to 1,710 members. For non-members, they even offered zero-interest loans up to $6,500 with a year to pay it back. This proactive approach meant that before the first missed paycheck, Keesler Fed...
Comments
Post a Comment
Please no profanity or political comments.