Financial Forward: The Future of Consumer Finance & Banking
Financial Forward with Jim McCarthy
Explore the Future of Consumer Finance, Banking Regulation, and FinTech Innovation
Financial Forward is the essential podcast for professionals in finance, compliance, and innovation. Hosted by Jim McCarthy, founding member of the CFPB and expert in regulatory risk management, each episode features in-depth conversations with leaders from banks, credit unions, fintech companies, and regulatory agencies.
🎯 What You’ll Learn:
- Consumer finance trends and policy changes
- CFPB rulemaking and enforcement actions
- Compliance with FDIC, OCC, NCUA, and CFPB oversight
- FinTech, open banking, and RegTech innovation
- Credit cards, loans, mortgage servicing, and fair lending
- AI and automation in banking compliance
- Risk management and consumer protection
🎧 Who Should Listen:
Bank executives, compliance officers, fintech founders, consumer advocates, and anyone interested in regulatory reform and financial inclusion.
🎙️ Listen now on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music, and more.
📲 Follow Jim McCarthy on LinkedIn for exclusive updates:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jim-mccarthy/
📩 Contact: jim@mccarthy-hatch.com
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#FinancialForwardPodcast #ConsumerFinance #BankingCompliance #CFPB #FDIC #OCC #Fintech #RiskManagement #OpenBanking #JimMcCarthy
Financial Forward: The Future of Consumer Finance & Banking
CFPB vs. FirstCash – Military Lending Enforcement & What Comes Next
“FirstCash, the CFPB, and Military Lending Protections: A Follow-Up to Our Service Member Panel”
Release Date:
July 2025
🔍 Episode Overview
In this special follow-up episode of Financial Forward, host Jim McCarthy revisits the critical topic of military financial protections in the wake of a major enforcement action by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB).
Since the airing of our original Service Member Panel, the CFPB reached a $9 million settlement with FirstCash, Inc. and its subsidiaries for violations of the Military Lending Act (MLA). The Bureau alleged unlawful pawn loans with APRs over the MLA’s 36% cap, mandatory arbitration clauses, and missing disclosures—violations that also breached a 2013 Bureau order.
To help unpack the implications of this case and what it means for the financial marketplace, Jim is joined by returning guests:
👥 Featured Guests
🔹 Eric Goldberg
- Chambers-ranked expert in consumer financial services compliance and regulation
- Former Senior and Managing Counsel at the CFPB, where he led rulemaking on payments, credit, arbitration, and more
- Advisor to fintechs and banks on launching compliant, innovative financial products
🔹 Colonel Paul Kantwill, U.S. Army (Ret.)
- Former Assistant Director, CFPB Office of Servicemember Affairs
- Led the Department of Defense policy team that implemented the Military Lending Act
- Professor, veteran advocate, and national voice on military and consumer financial law
💡 Topics Covered
- Details of the CFPB’s July 11, 2025 enforcement action against FirstCash
- The Military Lending Act – what it protects and why it matters
- Insights from those who helped write and enforce the MLA
- Compliance expectations for lenders serving military families
- Broader implications for fintech and financial institutions
📎 Resources & Links
- 🔗 CFPB Press Release: FirstCash Settlement (July 11, 2025)
- 🎧 Original Service Member Panel Episode
- 📄 Military Lending Act Overview – CFPB
💬 Join the Conversation
Are you a servicemember with a financial story to share? A compliance officer with questions about the MLA? Reach out to us at Jim@McCarthy-Hatch.com or connect with us on LinkedIn.
🎧 Listen & Subscribe
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LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mccarthyhatch/
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