Consumer Protection and Financial Inclusion

Thank you very much for the invitation to be here with you today. I understand that today’s summit is the first event as part of Cato’s new “Initiative for Financial Inclusion.” Cato has been recognized for decades as a vanguard of the liberty movement, and I am grateful that your scholars, especially Todd Zywicki and Diego Zuluaga, are focused on this vital issue. We at the Bureau have much to learn from you. I look forward to a continued dialogue about your innovative policy proposals to expand access to financial services and bolster consumer protections. My remarks today are focused on the relationship between financial inclusion and consumer protection. But before I begin, let me dispense with one minor formality: “While I am here today as a representative of the CFPB, my remarks do not constitute legal interpretation, guidance, or advice of the CFPB, and any personal opinions or views expressed are my own and may not represent the official views or position of the CFPB in all cases or in connection with specific matters.”