Written By: Lisa Whitley, AFC®

I don’t think that it is a secret that the possibilities for national action on consumer financial protection are closing. Certainly, some key issues such as debt collection protection, fair lending, and banking practices, will move from the purview of the Consumer Finance Protection Bureau (CFPB) to the agenda of other agencies, such as Treasury and the Federal Trade Commission. But will these types of initiatives garner the attention that they deserve, perhaps lost in a disparate group of federal agencies with other priorities? Let’s be honest: There is less receptivity in Washington to issues of economic justice these days. 

Luckily, many of the public policy decisions that impact our daily financial lives, and those of our clients, happen outside of the federal policy arena. Even as the space to engage at the federal level shrinks, opportunities abound to advocate for meaningful change at the state and local government level still exist. And these opportunities exist across the political spectrum. 

In February, the Asset Funders Network (AFN) hosted a webinar titled “Strengthening State Consumer Financial Protections to Preserve Assets Across the Life Cycle.” My hope is that everyone reading this article will take the time to watch the recording of this event. I came away from the event inspired by the sheer breadth of specific opportunities that exist for AFC®s to engage on issues that can meaningfully improve financial outcomes for their clients. 

The webinar presentation by the National Consumer Law Center (NCLC) was particularly instructive, providing a concrete example of how state-level rules materially impact the lives of households struggling with debt. The rules that govern when a creditor can garnish a person’s bank account for unpaid debt are a patchwork quilt across the country, with some states offering little protection to people in debt to protect what remains of their assets. But, not all! If you work with a client base for whom this is a vital issue, then it behooves you to understand what the leading states are doing to help those struggling with debt to manage this risk, and advocate for your state to model best practices if they are not in the lead on this issue. 

The webinar also featured local advocacy groups from Texas and Illinois who shared their stories of how they engaged with lawmakers, on a bipartisan basis, in their states on consumer protection issues such as predatory lending, debt collection, fair insurance pricing, data privacy and coerced debt.  

  • In Texas, advocacy was instrumental in passing new legislation to protect widows/widowers from property tax increases when their spouse dies.  
  • In Illinois, advocacy has resulted in greater access to assistance to low-income households to pay high utility bills, stopping a debt cycle before it starts. 

This is your call to action. What are one or two key issues that hamper your clients’ ability to achieve financial peace in their lives? What are the specific factors that, if a policy or law were changed, would give them greater ease? In many cases, the solution is not to be found in the United States Congress, but in your statehouse or even City Hall. 

The good news is that when it comes to advocacy, being a copycat is welcomed! Legislators don’t want to reinvent the wheel. NCLC has assembled a tremendously useful webpage of state model laws in 12 issue areas, such as debt collection, home equity lending and medical debt. 

Are there legislative actions in your own state that can be a model for others in the country? If so, share them with the AFC community. The Association for Financial Counseling and Planning Education (AFCPE) Member Exchange is a great forum for that! 

 I’ll go first:  

  • Rapidly increasing electricity rates, driven by the Artificial Intelligence  boom, are a fast-growing problem throughout the U.S. . The Illinois example of advocating for easier access to utility bill assistance reminded me of a 2025 proposal in the Washington DC City Council that responds to the incredibly high electricity bills many of us are experiencing. The bill would require the electric utility company to automatically enroll qualifying households in utility assistance programs, rather than requiring them to research and apply for affordability programs on their own. 
  • A newer bill in the D.C. City Council will make it easier for households, including renters, to make the switch to solar power and benefit from lower utility bills. 
  • For many lower income retirees, the monthly premium jump from Affordable Care Act insurance (subsidized with a Premium Tax Credit) to Medicare can be steep. I helped a family member in Pennsylvania advocate for her state to join others like Washington, D.C. in eliminating the asset limit to qualify for assistance with paying Medicare Part B premiums, under the Medicare Savings Program. No success yet, but we’ll keep trying! 

Your engagement can include directly contacting an elected official in your state or city. Write a letter that describes what you are seeing — and give them a specific idea of what to do about it, drawing on examples from other states.  

Or you can share your concern with a state or local-level advocacy group in your area. Advocacy groups love to hear specific stories that they can use to create momentum around an issue. Over the coming months, the AFCPE® Government Relations Task Force looks forward to introducing a new resource in the Advocacy Toolkit, a list of state and local groups that advocate for consumer protection and financial wellness. 

Spring is a time for renewal and action after a winter slumber. Let’s use this spring to take action to advocate for our clients’ financial wellbeing. 

 

Lisa Whitley is an Accredited Financial Counselor® and Founder of MoneyByLisa LLC. Visit Lisa’s FindanAFC Profile to view her services. Also, connect with her LinkedIn and learn more on Facebook.

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