The First Six Months: Director Kraninger's Report Card

June 11 marked the first six months of Director Kathleen L. Kraninger leading the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. 

“It is an honor and privilege to serve American consumers. As Director, my focus is to prevent harm to consumers by using all the tools Congress gave us, including education, regulation, supervision and enforcement. I look forward to building on the efforts and progress of these first six months,” said Director Kraninger. 

The press release publshed by the CFPB includes a dizzyingly long list of accomplishments. Some are substantial -- "Received and handled 170,000 consumer complaints" -- and then some are...look: the CFPB published a graphic novel/choose-your-own-adventure feature for servicewomen and men to manage money, which seems a little condescending and not actually helpful.

According to the Bureau, "Congress charged the Bureau with conducting financial education programs and ensuring consumers receive timely and understandable information to make responsible decisions about financial transactions." Which might be why the Bureau listed its Start Small, Save Up initiative "to increase emergency savings among consumers." Programs like this assume a level of financial health that may not necessarily be the norm for a lot of at-risk American consumers.

The Bureau also congratulated itself on modernizing, clarifying, and reducing the burden of rules. But, if you're like anyone else in this industry, I don't know if any of those words are the words you'd use to describe the recent NPRM.

We'll check back in with Director Kraninger in December. Maybe there will be a coloring book about finances for college grads!