VA Announces Launch Of New Partial Claim Program To Help Protect Veterans From Foreclosure With VA Home Loans

The FTC and Washington state secured a record $225 million settlement from Amway and affiliated groups over allegations they misled recruits about earnings potential while pressuring them to buy products with little retail opportunity. The complaint reveals that over three-quarters of U.S. product volume was sold to IBOs themselves rather than retail customers, with fabricated sales reporting masking the recruitment-driven model. The settlement's injunctive provisions establish new standards for earnings cl

Congress is closer than ever to enacting a comprehensive federal framework for college athletics. The Protect College Sports Act of 2026 establishes uniform standards for NIL and eligibility issues while solidifying NCAA enforcement authority. With the Senate voting 74-24 to invoke cloture, the bipartisan legislation now moves toward a final vote, featuring provisions on revenue-sharing caps, agent restrictions, and antitrust immunity that will reshape the landscape of college sports.

Polymarket faces multiple lawsuits alleging deceptive influencer marketing practices, including undisclosed paid endorsements and staged betting videos on fake platform copies. A new class action complaint claims content creators filmed winning bets on simulated Polymarket websites built by the company, with some videos allegedly showing fabricated results that would have resulted in significant losses on the real platform.

The Federal Trade Commission has issued a proposed enforcement policy statement targeting businesses that use consumer personal data to set individualized prices. While acknowledging it cannot prohibit all personalized pricing, the FTC warns that companies may violate federal law if they fail to clearly disclose their use of personal data in pricing decisions.

What separates aggressive comparative advertising from misleading pricing claims? A recent NAD decision involving Harry's and Gillette examines when brands can rely on regular retail prices versus promotional discounts, and how far marketers can push provocative language like "you're getting ripped off" without crossing legal boundaries.

This comprehensive newsletter covers recent federal and state consumer protection enforcement actions, including FTC settlements with payment processors, state attorney general lawsuits against tech companies, and advertising challenge decisions. The update examines regulatory developments such as the FTC's withdrawal of its 2021 health app breach policy statement and the launch of a new rule guidance program, while highlighting emerging enforcement priorities around AI-powered advertising, personalized

A federal court in Ohio has ordered Aaron Michael Jones, once considered the undisputed king of illegal robocalls responsible for billions of unwanted calls, to pay $83.7 million...

State-law class actions targeting automatic renewal and subscription practices are accelerating, creating significant litigation risk for companies that rely on recurring revenue models. Recent settlements demonstrate that even technical compliance failures can lead to seven-figure exposure, with California, Illinois, and Virginia statutes driving the most aggressive litigation.

The Federal Trade Commission has reached a proposed $12 million settlement with Humboldt Merchant Services based on allegations that it processed payments for merchants that were shell companies or engaged in fraud. This enforcement action highlights the FTC's scrutiny of payment processors and their obligations to identify and prevent fraudulent merchant activity.

A federal court has issued a nationwide injunction blocking the NCAA from enforcing its new five-year eligibility rule against Division I athletes who graduated high school in 2022. The ruling creates immediate compliance challenges for athletic departments as they navigate roster management, revenue-sharing caps, and potential penalties while the NCAA appeals the decision.

The Conference of State Bank Supervisors (CSBS) on September 16, 2026 released an Artificial Intelligence Supervisory Framework designed to help state financial examiners identify and understand how the bank and non-bank institutions they regulate are using artificial intelligence, assess the associated risks, and determine when a more in-depth review may be appropriate.

On September 23, 2025, the California Privacy Protection Agency (CPPA) announced the approval of final regulations under the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) covering cybersecurity audits...

Ballard Spahr attorneys provide comprehensive updates on mortgage banking and consumer finance developments, including DIDMCA legislative efforts, website tracking litigation trends...

Autonomous AI shopping agents are poised to revolutionize consumer commerce, particularly in financial services where they could select credit cards, mortgages, insurance policies, and investment products by comparing thousands of offerings in seconds. This transformation raises critical questions about consumer autonomy, privacy, competition, and whether existing disclosure, fair-lending, and investor-protection rules remain adequate when algorithms effectively make purchasing decisions...

The California Department of Financial Protection and Innovation announced earlier this month that it has hired Christina Tetreault to lead the new Office of Financial Technology and Innovation.

On December 14, 2021, the Washington State Court of Appeals issued an opinion.

The Senate Banking Committee has advanced Brian Johnson's nomination to lead the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau in a party-line vote, setting the stage for a full Senate confirmation. With the Senate's pre-election recess looming and Mark Paoletta currently serving as Acting Director, the timing of Johnson's potential confirmation could determine whether the CFPB has Senate-confirmed leadership before the November midterm elections.

California's new Senate Bill 867 prohibits the manufacture and sale of children's toys containing AI companion chatbots, marking a significant shift in how states regulate AI-enabled consumer products. The legislation treats conversational AI functionality as an integral part of product safety rather than a separate digital service, potentially reshaping liability exposure for manufacturers, retailers, and AI vendors across the supply chain.

The Mortgage Bankers Association has filed a federal lawsuit challenging New Jersey's disparate impact discrimination rules, arguing they lack constitutional safeguards and conflict with federal law. The complaint asserts the rules impose unrecoverable compliance costs on lenders and create operational burdens by requiring different policies across states.

Rohit Chopra, President Biden's nominee for CFPB Director, previously served as the CFPB's Private Education Loan Ombudsman under Mr. Cordray's leadership