CFPB Appoints Texas Appleseed Finance Expert to its Consumer Advisory Board

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau now has a new expert in Texas finance and lending practices with the appointment of Ann Baddour of Texas Appleseed to its Consumer Advisory Board.

Baddour is one of seven new members from across the country invited to serve on this prestigious national board. She is a senior policy analyst at Texas Appleseed, a nonprofit public interest law center that promotes social and economic justice for all Texans.

Her experience, most recently in working to reform payday and auto title lending in Texas, will help further the mission of the CFPB, which is to make markets for consumer financial products and services work for Americans.

“I hope to use this opportunity to share on-the-ground experiences of Texas consumers and consumer advocates in support of reining in predatory lending abuses and encouraging a fair and vibrant consumer financial services market,” said Baddour.

Texas’ Unified Ordinance Reins in Predatory Lending
Texas Appleseed’s Baddour has been a leader in helping cities pass a unified ordinance to protect their residents from payday and auto title lending abuses, while also working toward statewide reform. Eighteen Texas cities have passed the unified ordinance, covering 42 percent of the payday and auto title loan locations in the state and protecting more than 7 million Texans.

Better Consumer Protections for International Remittances
Baddour’s work at Appleseed helped contribute to national safeguards for low- to moderate-income families who are sending money outside of the U.S. The work included studying pricing in remittance markets, data analysis, and bringing together immigrant groups and business leaders to explore best practices for remittances. This early work helped lay the groundwork for rules adopted by the CFPB under the Dodd-Frank Act. The rules provide basic guarantees for wire transfers and establish fair pricing disclosures.

About Texas Appleseed
Texas Appleseed works to promote social and economic justice for all Texans: it is a member of the Texas Fair Lending Alliance, a coalition working to transform the Texas payday and auto title loan market. Visit Texas Appleseed at TexasAppleseed.net, on Twitter @TexasAppleseed or on Facebook. Visit the Texas Fair Lending Alliance at TexasFairLending.org, on Twitter @TxFairLending or on Facebook.