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Musk wants to abolish consumer agency that has been a ‘model of efficiency’

www.commondreams.org Musk Wants to Abolish Consumer Agency That Has Been a 'Model of Efficiency' | Common Dreams

"This is systemic corruption at a grand and intolerable scale," one advocate said of the billionaire's call to "delete" the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.

Musk Wants to Abolish Consumer Agency That Has Been a 'Model of Efficiency' | Common Dreams

Summary

Elon Musk wants to “delete” the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), which has returned nearly $20 billion to Americans since its creation after the 2008 financial crisis.

Critics, including Public Citizen, argue Musk is driven by conflicts of interest, as the CFPB recently finalized a rule to supervise large tech companies offering digital payment services, a business Musk appears poised to enter.

“In short, Musk is calling for elimination of the consumer protection regulator over a business line he seems poised to enter… This is systemic corruption at a grand and intolerable scale,” one advocate said.

The CFPB has long faced opposition from corporations and conservatives but is praised for combating financial abuses and protecting consumers.

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  • On the other hand, it's because of the CPFB that one must have absolutely sterling credit to even think about getting a mortgage. Prior to the 2008 housing crisis that led to its creation, banks were handing out mortgages like Halloween candy, all anyone had to do was walk up and say "Trick or Treat!". Didn't matter whether or not the person getting the mortgage made enough money to even pay the interest, the mortgage and the house were both there for the taking.

    • Prior to the 2008 housing crisis that led to its creation, banks were handing out mortgages like Halloween candy, all anyone had to do was walk up and say "Trick or Treat!"

      Well, yeah, which lead to the 2008 crisis, and the creation of the CPFB to try to avoid that in the future

      • Look, I've made some bad choices in life. I'm in my 30's, I live with my girlfriend and her mother, and my credit only just recently got above 600. But because of the rules the CPFB put in place, I'll be laughed out of ANY bank if I walk in and ask for a mortgage for just a bare plot of land with nothing on it. And maybe I'm being selfish, but the CPFB hasn't done dick to make home ownership more affordable, or to keep private equity from snatching up all available inventory.

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