Fintech Takes x FairPlay Presents Model Citizens: Into the CFPB Void: Regulatory Free-for-All in Financial Services

Welcome to Model Citizens: AI Compliance for Banks and Fintech Lenders, a six-part miniseries from the Fintech Takes podcast in partnership with FairPlay. In this series, I’m joined by FairPlay’s Kareem Saleh (Founder & CEO) to explore how banks and fintechs can build fair, compliant lending systems in an era of regulatory uncertainty. Episode 1 tackles one of the biggest questions in financial services today: what happens when the top federal watchdog (that was/is the CFPB) loses its bite? Joined by David Silberman (former CFPB Associate Director for Research, Markets, and Regulation) and Abby Hogan (SVP of Legal & Regulatory Affairs; ex-CFPB), we explore the vacuum left by a defanged CFPB and the new patchwork of enforcement that’s emerging in its place. Highlights include: Why 50-state compliance is the most expensive form of “deregulation” you’ve never asked for How pragmatic state regulators are becoming the new R&D lab for rulemaking since fintech innovation won’t wait What the five-year lookback really means for compliance teams (hint: regulatory whiplash isn’t a free pass to hit cruise control) Whether the CFPB could be rebuilt (and how fast the talent might come roaring back) This episode sets the stage for what’s ahead. Because the future of fair lending isn’t just about algorithms; it’s about who’s making the rules, who’s watching, who’s suing, and who’s redrawing the lines of fairness and risk.  In other words: it’s about what kind of model citizens we want our institutions (and our systems) to be. Don’t forget to subscribe and catch more insights on Model Citizens in upcoming episodes! This miniseries is brought to you by FairPlay. FairPlay is an AI enablement company for financial services. They help companies build, test, optimize, validate and govern AI models. Learn more at Fairplay.ai Sign up for Alex’s Fintech Takes newsletter for the latest insightful analysis on fintech trends, along with a heaping pile of pop culture references and copious footnotes. Every Monday and Thursday: https://workweek.com/brand/fintech-takes/ Follow Alex:  YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJgfH47QEwbQmkQlz1V9rQA/videos LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexhjohnson Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/AlexH_Johnson Follow David: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-silberman-1143414a/ Follow Kareem: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kareemsaleh/ Follow Abby: https://www.linkedin.com/in/abbyhogan/ Learn more about FairPlay here.