In between holiday shopping and merriment, we here at the Financial Services Report are pondering what's in a name. Not much, said Shakespeare. Isaac Asimov begged to differ in a mystery story about who killed one of the library twins (we won't give away the twist that hinges on a name). So do companies that spend millions of dollars identifying names to reflect their brands, and parents-to-be who spend countless hours poring over baby-naming books in search of the perfect name.

While he was the acting Director of the agency originally called the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, Mick Mulvaney waded into this debate when he announced in March that the agency name would change to the Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection. "We changed the name because it's the name in the statute," acting Director Mulvaney explained, in what he described as a "good, small way" to signal that the agency would "follow the statute."

Since then, it's been a bit of a mixed message from the Bureau — at least on branding — with a new seal reflecting the new name, but a website reflecting the old name. On substance, has the Bureau followed the statute under acting Director Mulvaney? And how will Kathy Kraninger put her mark on the agency as she becomes its second director?

To mark the change in command, we here at the Financial Services Report are adopting the new name for the Bureau with this issue. Let us know if you feel strongly — about our branding or our substance! Either way, we hope you keep reading for all the updates on the Beltway, the Bureau (aka the BCFP), Privacy, Mortgage, Preemption, BSA/AML, TCPA, and more. We wish you Happy Holidays and all the best in the New Year!

Because of the generality of this update, the information provided herein may not be applicable in all situations and should not be acted upon without specific legal advice based on particular situations.

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