The Trump Administration’s Plan for Protecting Consumers? Politely Ask Companies to Behave.

Monday’s ProPublica report says acting CFPB director Russell Vought told the Senate that the agency would trade its traditional enforcement for a friendlier, collaborative approach, pointing to fintech startup Bilt as evidence of success. After the bureau’s outreach helped Bilt fix an early rent‑payment glitch, the company later sent mistaken debt‑collection notices that lowered cardholders’ credit scores, and the CFPB did not step in. Former CFPB officials say the agency’s previous, more aggressive playbook might have caught those issues before they spiraled. The episode underscores lingering doubts about whether an ask‑nicely strategy can reliably protect consumers.

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