CFPB headquarters in Washington, D.C. Credit/Shutterstock
The CFPB will officially withdraw dozens of non-binding guidance documents, including interpretive rules, advisory opinions, and policy statements dating back more than a decade. The move, to be published Monday in the Federal Register, is part of a broader push to streamline regulatory oversight and reduce compliance burdens for financial institutions.
In response, the Defense Credit Union Council (DCUC) praised the decision Friday as a necessary and deliberate step toward greater regulatory clarity and fairness, particularly for credit unions serving military communities.
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“For too long, financial institutions—including not-for-profit credit unions—have operated under a maze of overlapping, and at times contradictory, guidance that lacked the weight of formal rulemaking,” DCUC stated. “By rescinding these non-binding documents, the CFPB is modernizing its regulatory posture and signaling that policy should be driven by durable, transparent rules rather than informal advisories or politically motivated interpretations.”
The CFPB emphasized that the withdrawn documents should not be enforced or relied upon during this review period. The Bureau's new policy calls for issuing guidance only when necessary and when such guidance reduces, not increases, compliance burdens.
DCUC noted this is especially important for defense credit unions, which often lack the legal resources of large banks but are held to the same regulatory standards. “Regulatory predictability empowers credit unions to do what they do best—serve those who serve.”
The CFPB’s overhaul aligns with Executive Order 14219, which aims to streamline federal regulation and reduce overlap with other federal and state enforcement agencies.
“This is a welcome move,” the DCUC added. “It sends a strong signal that the CFPB is refocusing on what works: clear rules, consistent application, and reduced red tape for institutions serving everyday Americans—including the millions of military families who rely on defense credit unions.”
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Michael Ogden
Editor-in-Chief at CU Times. To connect, email at [email protected]. As Editor-in-Chief of CU Times since 2016, Michael Ogden has led the editorial team in all aspects of content strategy and execution, including the creation of the publication’s exclusive and proprietary research database of the credit union industry’s economic landscape. Under Michael’s leadership, CU Times has successfully shifted to an all-digital editorial product with new focuses on the payments, fraud, lending and regulatory beats. Most recently, he introduced a data-focused editorial product for subscribers that breaks down credit union issues into hard data, allowing for a deeper and more factual narrative for readers. In 2024, he launched the "Shared Accounts With CU Times" podcast, which offers a fresh, inside-the-newsroom perspective through interviews with leaders from the credit union industry and the regulatory world. He dives into pressing credit union issues, while revealing the personalities working behind-the-scenes to push the credit union world forward. His background includes years as a radio and TV anchor/reporter and a public relations and digital/social media manager, where he covered the food and music industries, as well as cooperatives and credit unions. Over the years, he has launched numerous exclusive video and podcast series, including a successful series of interactive backstage interviews with musicians at music festivals, showcasing his social media and live streaming production skills.
