{"id":5417,"date":"2016-07-21T13:45:00","date_gmt":"2016-07-21T17:45:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.merkley.senate.gov\/brown-merkley-press-federal-agencies-on-oversight-of-financial-technology\/"},"modified":"2023-07-24T11:09:26","modified_gmt":"2023-07-24T15:09:26","slug":"brown-merkley-press-federal-agencies-on-oversight-of-financial-technology","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.merkley.senate.gov\/es\/brown-merkley-press-federal-agencies-on-oversight-of-financial-technology\/","title":{"rendered":"Brown, Merkley Press Agencias federales sobre la supervisi\u00f3n de la tecnolog\u00eda financiera"},"content":{"rendered":"<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">WASHINGTON, D.C. &ndash; U.S. Sens. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) and Jeff Merkley (D-OR) today called on the leaders of the U.S. banking and consumer protection agencies to outline steps they are taking to ensure effective oversight of the emerging financial technology, or &ldquo;fintech,&rdquo; marketplace.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">The Senators made their request in a <a href=\"http:\/\/www.brown.senate.gov\/download\/fintech-letter_-2016-07-21\"><span class=\"s2\">letter<\/span><\/a> to the heads of the Federal Reserve, the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, the National Credit Union Administration, and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. Brown is the Ranking Member on the Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee. Merkley serves as the top Democrat on the Banking panel&rsquo;s Financial Institutions and Consumer Protection Subcommittee.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">In recent years, fintech firms have expanded their presence and products in the financial system and increased financing to consumers and small businesses. A number of new companies offer a wide range of products and services, such as alternative payment services, small business or consumer loans, and cash advance products. In their letter, Brown and Merkley noted that the Financial Stability Oversight Council&rsquo;s 2016 annual report urged regulators to pay close attention to possible systemic risks that could emerge from the rapidly growing fintech sector.<\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">&ldquo;[W]e must be mindful that some of these products, activities, and business models may be new and innovative, while others may largely resemble those of existing, federally regulated firms,&#8221; the Senators wrote. &#8220;As Congress considers its role in overseeing fintech and its impact on American consumers, we believe it is important that Congress better understand the way federal regulators oversee fintech and their relationships with federally regulated financial institutions.&rdquo;<\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">Brown and Merkley asked the agencies to provide information about their oversight of fintech companies and the use of blockchain technology. The Senators also called on the agencies to detail how their authority over third-party relationships applies to fintech companies, as well as steps the agencies are taking to ensure financial institutions of all sizes understand the risks and benefits to partnering with or acquiring fintech companies.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">In November, Brown, Merkley, and Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) sent a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.brown.senate.gov\/newsroom\/press\/release\/brown-merkley-shaheen-press-for-information-on-financial-technology-markets-impact-on-small-businesses-and-consumers\"><span class=\"s2\">letter<\/span><\/a> to Treasury Secretary Jack Lew and the head of the U.S. Small Business Administration, Maria Contreras-Sweet, requesting information about fintech&rsquo;s impact on consumers and small businesses who use this market to access credit. The three Senators also requested the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to study fintech in April, focusing on federal oversight of consumer and small business lending.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">Brown and Merkley reiterated the need to safeguard consumers and small business in their letter to the banking and consumer protection agencies, and requested information on how fair lending and consumer protection laws apply to fintech companies.<\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">&#8220;If a fintech company is neither directly regulated by your agencies nor a third party service provider, there are concerns that applicable federal consumer laws may not extend to consumers engaging with fintech companies, and that consumers or small business owners may not understand that protections provided by federal financial institutions do not apply to the products and services offered by these companies,&#8221; the Senators wrote. &#8220;These companies are changing financial services, and it is vital that the regulators and Congress understand all the impacts and take actions as appropriate.&#8221;<\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">Noting that fintech is a &ldquo;global phenomenon,&rdquo; Brown and Merkley also called on the agencies to outline their coordination on marketplace lending with other U.S. regulatory agencies as well as international governing bodies.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\"><b>The full text of the letter follows below.<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">July 21, 2016<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">The Honorable Janet Yellen&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; The Honorable Thomas J. Curry<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">Chair&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Comptroller<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">Board of Governors, Federal Reserve System&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Office of the Comptroller of the Currency<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">20<\/span><span class=\"s3\"><sup>th<\/sup><\/span><span class=\"s1\"> Street and Constitution Avenue, NW&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 250 E Street, SW<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">Washington, D.C. 20551&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Washington, D.C. 20219<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">The Honorable Martin Gruenberg&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; The Honorable Rick Metsger<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">Chair&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Chair<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; National Credit Union Administration<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">550 17<\/span><span class=\"s3\"><sup>th<\/sup><\/span><span class=\"s1\"> Street, NW&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 1775 Duke Street<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">Washington, D.C. 20429&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Alexandria, VA 22314<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">The Honorable Richard Cordray<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">Director<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">Consumer Financial Protection Bureau<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">1700 G Street, NW<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">Washington, D.C. 20552<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">Dear Chair Yellen, Comptroller Curry, Chair Gruenberg, Chair Metsger, and Director Cordray:<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">In recent years, financial technology firms (&ldquo;fintech&rdquo;) have expanded their presence and products in the financial system. Market analysts have stated that &ldquo;over $4.7 trillion of revenue at the traditional financial services companies [is] at risk for disruption by the new, technology-enabled entrants.&rdquo;<\/span><span class=\"s4\"><sup>[1]<\/sup><\/span><span class=\"s1\"> The World Economic Forum has stated that &ldquo;this trend has the potential to become a game changer for small businesses.&rdquo;<\/span><span class=\"s4\"><sup>[2]<\/sup><\/span><span class=\"s1\"> A number of new companies offer a diverse range of products and services, from alternative payment services, mobile payments, small business or consumer loans, and cash advance products. They may also be structured differently in terms of holding risk on their own balance sheets, partnering with financial institutions, or connecting capital from institutional investors to individual borrowers.<\/span><span class=\"s4\"><sup>[3]<\/sup><\/span><span class=\"s1\">&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">We appreciate that your agencies have made public comments on the role of fintech in the financial system, and we applaud you for the steps your agencies have taken to date. Your conferences, white papers, and speeches have been productive and instructive as we learn more about these companies and their products.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">As we think about the role of fintech, we must be mindful that some of these products, activities, and business models may be new and innovative, while others may largely resemble those of existing, federally regulated firms. We write to seek more information about the tools the regulators have to ensure effective oversight over fintech companies. Recently, in the 2016 Financial Stability Oversight Council (FSOC) Annual Report, FSOC identified financial innovation and migration of activities as an area that &ldquo;merit[s] special attention from financial regulators who must be vigilant to ensure that new products and practices do not blunt the effectiveness of existing regulations or pose unanticipated risks to markets or institutions.&rdquo;<\/span><span class=\"s4\"><sup>[4]<\/sup><\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">As Congress considers its role in overseeing fintech and its impact on American consumers, we believe it is important that Congress better understand the way federal regulators oversee fintech and their relationships with federally regulated financial institutions. We offer a summary of the issues that we have heard from various stakeholders, and would appreciate your views on these issues as fintech becomes integrated into the financial system.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s5\">Diverse Business Models<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">Comptroller Curry has noted that the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) is open to offering a charter to fintech companies, including a &ldquo;limited charter.&rdquo;<\/span><span class=\"s4\"><sup>[5]<\/sup><\/span><span class=\"s1\"> Researchers suggest that there are at least 4,000 fintech firms providing financial services directly to consumers or small businesses, or services to financial institutions.<\/span><span class=\"s4\"><sup>[6]<\/sup><\/span><span class=\"s1\"> As a comparison, there were 5,289 commercial banks with FDIC insurance as of March 21, 2016.<\/span><span class=\"s4\"><sup>[7]<\/sup><\/span><span class=\"s1\"> Fintech business models can vary greatly from the types of products offered, to whom the products are offered, and how the companies are financed.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">Some fintech companies have formed formal partnerships with financial institutions while others may interact with depository institutions less formally, such as through the payment system. Some companies aim to form partnerships with small community banks and credit unions, while some small financial institutions have voiced concerns that they view fintech companies as competitors. Some fintech companies sell loans or securities to financial institutions.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">Please describe: what your agency has done to study and understand the various types of fintech companies involved in marketplace lending, alternative payments, consumer lending, blockchain and distributed ledger, virtual currencies, personal finance management, robo-investing or saving, small business financing, merchant cash advances, education financing, crowdfunding, or invoice financing;&nbsp; your agency&rsquo;s role in supervising or regulating these firms, including what considerations should be given to enabling non-bank companies to obtain a full or limited federal banking charter; and your views on the impact of these firms on the institutions you regulate.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s5\">Regulation of third-party service providers<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">One way to consider oversight of fintech is as third-party service providers to financial institutions. Some fintech companies are third-party service providers. The banking agencies have authority to regulate and examine third-party service providers to the same extent as if the activities were performed by the financial institution itself.<\/span><span class=\"s4\"><sup>[8]<\/sup><\/span><span class=\"s1\"> Under the Bank Service Company Act, the OCC, FDIC, and Federal Reserve may issue regulations, take enforcement actions for violations of law, and examine bank service companies. The CFPB has separate authority to regulate affiliated service providers that &ldquo;provide a material service&rdquo; to entities offering or providing consumer financial products or services, as well as authority to regulate a service provider to the extent that the service provider offers its own consumer financial product or service.<\/span><span class=\"s4\"><sup>[9]<\/sup><\/span><span class=\"s1\"> The agencies have issued guidance about regulatory expectations for management of third-party relationships.<\/span><span class=\"s4\"><sup>[10]<\/sup><\/span><span class=\"s1\"> This guidance generally requires financial institutions to assess risk of third parties, and conduct due diligence and ongoing monitoring.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">Recent events raise questions about the relationship between regulators, financial institutions and third-party service providers, specifically the policies and internal controls put in place to address possible risks associated with certain lending practices and transactions with financial institutions. Depository institutions were among the institutional investors that purchased loans from online marketplace lenders.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">Please detail how your agency&rsquo;s guidance related to third-party relationships applies to fintech companies, and what expectations your agency has for financial institutions that partner or otherwise engage with fintech companies. Please also describe: what factors your agency considers when determining whether and how to use its authority to examine and regulate third party service providers; steps you are taking to ensure financial institutions of all sizes understand the risks and benefits to partnering with or acquiring fintech companies, as well as regulatory expectations for fintech relationships with financial institutions; how often your agency has directly examined third-party service providers that are fintech companies; and whether your agency has sufficient examination and enforcement authority over third-party service providers.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s5\">Consumer and Small Business Protections<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">If a fintech company is neither directly regulated by your agencies nor a third party service provider, there are concerns that applicable federal consumer laws may not extend to consumers engaging with fintech companies, and that consumers or small business owners may not understand that protections provided by federal financial institutions do not apply to the products and services offered by these companies.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">Many fintech firms use alternative data and proprietary algorithms to underwrite loans. While these alternative approaches may provide the opportunity to expand access to credit, some observers have raised concerns about the potential for violations of fair lending laws as well consumer protection laws such as the Fair Credit Reporting Act.<\/span><span class=\"s4\"><sup>[11]<\/sup><\/span><span class=\"s1\"> Since many fintech companies do not have physical locations, providing the basis for a geographical assessment area, stakeholders have questioned how the regulators apply the Community Reinvestment Act (CRA) to alternative systems for delivering retail banking systems.<\/span><span class=\"s4\"><sup>[12]<\/sup><\/span><span class=\"s1\"> Others have raised concerns about the portability of data and consumer rights to access information held by private companies.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">To the extent that some of these companies are offering products and services to small businesses instead of individuals, there may also be questions about the protections afforded to small businesses. The Treasury Department recently issued a white paper that noted &ldquo;strong evidence indicates that small business loans under $100,000 share common characteristics with consumer loans yet do not enjoy the same consumer protections.&rdquo;<\/span><span class=\"s4\"><sup>[13]<\/sup><\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">As we noted in our letter to the Treasury Department and Small Business Administration last November, the Cleveland Federal Reserve Bank published a survey noting that many small business owners find it difficult to compare online small business loans due to lack of standardization of terms.<\/span><span class=\"s4\"><sup>[14]<\/sup><\/span><span class=\"s1\"> Former SBA Administrator Mills has noted that &ldquo;the current online marketplace for small business loans falls between the cracks for Federal regulators.&rdquo;<\/span><span class=\"s4\"><sup>[15]<\/sup><\/span><span class=\"s1\">&nbsp; &nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">The 2015 Small Business Credit Survey, published in March 2016, showed that 20% of small business firms applied for financing with an online lender, but were generally not very satisfied with their experience, citing concerns with interest rates and unfavorable repayment terms.<\/span><span class=\"s4\"><sup>[16]<\/sup><\/span><span class=\"s1\">&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">Please provide a description of the direct and indirect authority that your agency has to supervise companies that make consumer and small business loans or advances; your views on alternative data to underwrite loans or advances, and the ability of your agency to enforce consumer protection and fair lending laws and ensure that fintech companies are CRA compliant; plans to implement section 1033 of the Dodd-Frank Act; and the Treasury Department&rsquo;s assessment regarding the loan characteristics of small business loans under $100,000.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s5\">Coordination<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">Fintech, and the challenges and opportunities it presents, is a global phenomenon. Treasury recently recommended that an interagency working group be created to facilitate coordination on marketplace lending that would include CFPB, FDIC, FRB, FTC, OCC, SBA, SEC, a state bank supervisor representative, and Treasury.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">International coordination may also be needed. The European Central Bank,<\/span><span class=\"s4\"><sup>[17]<\/sup><\/span><span class=\"s1\"> Australia,<\/span><span class=\"s4\"><sup>[18]<\/sup><\/span><span class=\"s1\"> World Economic Forum,<\/span><span class=\"s4\"><sup>[19]<\/sup><\/span><span class=\"s1\"> and the World Bank<\/span><span class=\"s4\"><sup>[20]<\/sup><\/span><span class=\"s1\"> have recently published fintech papers that highlight opportunities and challenges for international regulators. While fintech may increase the availability of financial services across borders, there may also be complicated implications for international law. The UK has been active in fintech, including its regulatory sandbox,<\/span><span class=\"s4\"><sup>[21]<\/sup><\/span><span class=\"s1\"> FinTech Innovation Lab London, and additional research.<\/span><span class=\"s4\"><sup>[22]<\/sup><\/span><span class=\"s1\"> The UK Financial Conduct Authority recently created and began accepting applications for a &ldquo;regulatory sandbox,&rdquo; which allows companies to &ldquo;test innovative ideas without immediately incurring all the normal regulatory consequences.&rdquo;<\/span><span class=\"s4\"><sup>[23]<\/sup><\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">In the United States, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau formed Project Catalyst to engage with companies developing innovative consumer financial products and services and established a process for obtaining a no-action letter (NAL) concerning innovative financial products.<\/span><span class=\"s4\"><sup>[24]<\/sup><\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">Please provide details on coordination between agencies and through interagency bodies, as well as international coordination, including effectiveness of your efforts to raise agency-specific concerns to other agencies or international bodies. Please also comment on how your agency balances a culture of fostering innovation with your agency&rsquo;s regulatory and supervisory responsibilities.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">We appreciate the information you can provide on these important topics. These companies are changing financial services, and it is vital that the regulators and Congress understand all the impacts and take actions as appropriate. Please do not hesitate to contact Ms. Jeanette Quick, Senior Counsel of the Senate Banking Committee, at (202) 224-1569, or Ms. Lauren Oppenheimer, Minority Staff Director of the Subcommittee on Financial Institutions and Consumer Protection, at (202) 224-3753, if you have any questions.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p2\"><span class=\"s1\">&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p3\"><span class=\"s1\">###<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>WASHINGTON, D.C. &ndash; U.S. Sens. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) and Jeff Merkley (D-OR) today called on the leaders of the U.S. banking and consumer protection agencies to outline steps they are taking to ensure effective oversight of the emerging financial technology, or &ldquo;fintech,&rdquo; marketplace. The Senators made their request in a letter to the heads of [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[24],"tags":[47],"class_list":["post-5417","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-press-releases","tag-protecting-consumers-taxpayers-and-the-economy"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.2 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Brown, Merkley Press Federal Agencies on Oversight of Financial Technology - Merkley<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.merkley.senate.gov\/es\/brown-merkley-press-federal-agencies-on-oversight-of-financial-technology\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"es_MX\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Brown, Merkley Press Federal Agencies on Oversight of Financial Technology - Merkley\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"WASHINGTON, D.C. &ndash; U.S. Sens. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) and Jeff Merkley (D-OR) today called on the leaders of the U.S. banking and consumer protection agencies to outline steps they are taking to ensure effective oversight of the emerging financial technology, or &ldquo;fintech,&rdquo; marketplace. The Senators made their request in a letter to the heads of [&hellip;]\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.merkley.senate.gov\/es\/brown-merkley-press-federal-agencies-on-oversight-of-financial-technology\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Merkley\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2016-07-21T17:45:00+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2023-07-24T15:09:26+00:00\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"14 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.merkley.senate.gov\/brown-merkley-press-federal-agencies-on-oversight-of-financial-technology\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.merkley.senate.gov\/brown-merkley-press-federal-agencies-on-oversight-of-financial-technology\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"\",\"@id\":\"\"},\"headline\":\"Brown, Merkley Press Federal Agencies on Oversight of Financial Technology\",\"datePublished\":\"2016-07-21T17:45:00+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2023-07-24T15:09:26+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.merkley.senate.gov\/brown-merkley-press-federal-agencies-on-oversight-of-financial-technology\/\"},\"wordCount\":2794,\"keywords\":[\"Protecting Consumers, Taxpayers, and the Economy\"],\"articleSection\":[\"Press Releases\"],\"inLanguage\":\"es-MX\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.merkley.senate.gov\/brown-merkley-press-federal-agencies-on-oversight-of-financial-technology\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.merkley.senate.gov\/brown-merkley-press-federal-agencies-on-oversight-of-financial-technology\/\",\"name\":\"Brown, Merkley Press Federal Agencies on Oversight of Financial Technology - Merkley\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.merkley.senate.gov\/#website\"},\"datePublished\":\"2016-07-21T17:45:00+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2023-07-24T15:09:26+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"\"},\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.merkley.senate.gov\/brown-merkley-press-federal-agencies-on-oversight-of-financial-technology\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"es-MX\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.merkley.senate.gov\/brown-merkley-press-federal-agencies-on-oversight-of-financial-technology\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.merkley.senate.gov\/brown-merkley-press-federal-agencies-on-oversight-of-financial-technology\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/www.merkley.senate.gov\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Brown, Merkley Press Federal Agencies on Oversight of Financial Technology\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.merkley.senate.gov\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.merkley.senate.gov\/\",\"name\":\"Merkley\",\"description\":\"Merkley\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/www.merkley.senate.gov\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"es-MX\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.merkley.senate.gov\/es\/author\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Brown, Merkley Press Federal Agencies on Oversight of Financial Technology - Merkley","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.merkley.senate.gov\/es\/brown-merkley-press-federal-agencies-on-oversight-of-financial-technology\/","og_locale":"es_MX","og_type":"article","og_title":"Brown, Merkley Press Federal Agencies on Oversight of Financial Technology - Merkley","og_description":"WASHINGTON, D.C. &ndash; U.S. Sens. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) and Jeff Merkley (D-OR) today called on the leaders of the U.S. banking and consumer protection agencies to outline steps they are taking to ensure effective oversight of the emerging financial technology, or &ldquo;fintech,&rdquo; marketplace. 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