Biden Names CU Executive Bill Bynum, Former CFPB Deputy Director Leandra English to Transition Team

News, Regulatory Agencies

President-elect Joe Biden on Tuesday appointed longtime credit union executive Bill Bynum and former Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Deputy Director Leandra English to his CFPB agency review team. The teams are designed to help ease the transition from Trump Administration agencies to Biden Administration agencies. The teams also include one that will examine the Federal Reserve, Banking and Securities Regulators. English is the team lead for the CFPB team. She served as deputy director of the CFPB under former Director Richard Cordray. Her appointment is likely a sign that Biden intends to re-invigorate the CFPB, which has tilted toward a

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Federal Reserve Seeking Participants for FedNow Pilot Program

Federal Reserve

The Federal Reserve is now accepting applications for a pilot test program for its FedNow Service. Financial institutions, including credit unions, are among those eligible to apply, Fed officials said. Once it is implemented, the FedNow service will allow customers to send and receive payments at financial institutions instantly. Credit union trade groups have expressed their support for the program. The pilot program will include three phases: advisory, testing and closed-loop production. Institutions that are not members of the FedNow Community must first enroll by submitting a participant profile form. Organizations that are interested in participating must submit an application

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Coin Task Force Issues New Tools to Increase Coin Circulation

Federal Reserve

A Federal Reserve U.S. Coin Task Force has developed a toolkit for financial institutions and retailers in an effort to push more coins into circulation.

In forming the task force earlier this year, Fed officials said that with many retail businesses where coins are used closed due to the coronavirus crisis, the normal coin circulation network has been disrupted. They said that there is not a shortage of coins, adding that more than $40 billion in coins are in circulation, but many of them are not being used.

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Sen. Schatz Introduces Legislation to Create CDFI Emergency Fund

Senate

Amid signs that federal pandemic assistance funds have not reached businesses that need them the most, Sen. Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii) this week introduced legislation creating a new $2 billion emergency fund for Community Development Financial Institutions.

The legislation, S. 4430, would automatically provide capital for CDFIs during a natural disaster or economic crisis. The legislation is cosponsored by nine Democrats and Independent Bernie Sanders of Vermont.

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Democratic Draft Platform: Renew Glass-Steagall, Explore Postal Banking

Elections

A draft of the 2020 national Democratic platform calls for an “up-dated and modernized version” of the Glass-Steagall Act and for an examination of postal banking.

The draft document, which the Democratic National Committee is scheduled to consider on Monday, said the party will push for “a new economic contract that provides access for all to reliable and affordable banking and financial services.”

It also calls for beefing up the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and doubling funding for the Community Development Financial Institutions program.

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