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Event Description

The FTC hosted a “Military Consumer Financial Workshop: Protecting Those Who Protect Our Nation” at Trinity University in San Antonio, Texas on July 19, 2017, to examine financial issues and scams that can affect military consumers, including active duty servicemembers in all branches and veterans.

The one-day workshop also discussed FTC resources available to military consumer advocates and representatives on financial readiness and fraud prevention. The workshop brought together military consumer advocates, consumer groups, government representatives (local, state, and federal), military legal services and legal clinics (including those at universities), and all service branches and industry representatives.

Topics of discussion included:

  • Auto purchase, financing, and leasing
  • Student and other lending, including installment credit practices
  • Debt collection
  • Financial literacy and capability, including identity theft and financial resources
  • Avoiding scams

Panelists interested in participating in this workshop should email any relevant information to: militaryconsumerworkshop@ftc.gov.

The workshop, which was free and open to the public, took place at Chapman Auditorium, Trinity University, San Antonio, Texas 78212.

  • 8:00 am

    Registration

    8:30 am

    Introductory Remarks

    Jim Elliott
    Assistant Director, FTC Southwest Regional Office

    Opening Remarks

    Maureen K. Ohlhausen
    Acting Chairman, FTC

    8:45 am

    Panel 1: Military Consumers’ Experience in Auto Purchase, Financing, and Leasing

    Moderator:

    • Carole Reynolds
      Senior Attorney, FTC Division of Financial Practices

    Panelists:

    • Dwain Alexander II, Capt. Ret. USN
      Attorney, U.S. Navy Region Legal Service Office, Mid Atlantic, Legal Assistance Department
    • Michael Archer, Maj. Ret. USMC
      Director and Attorney, Legal Assistance, U.S. Marine Corps, Camp LeJeune, North Carolina
    • Kathryn McClure
      Attorney, Chief, Client Services Division, Office of the Staff Judge Advocate, U.S. Army, Fort Sill, Oklahoma
    • Paul Metrey, Lt. Col. Ret. USA
      Vice President, Regulatory Affairs, Chief Regulatory Counsel, Financial Services, Privacy, and Tax, National Automobile Dealers Association

    9:45 am

    Panel 2: Military Consumers’ Experience in Other Lending

    Moderator:

    • Malini Mithal
      Acting Associate Director, FTC Division of Financial Practices

    Panelists:

    • Nicholas Armstrong, Ph.D.
      Senior Director for Research and Evaluation, Syracuse University Institute for Veterans and Military Families
    • Bill Himpler
      Executive Vice President, American Financial Services Association
    • Kevin Keith
      Community Readiness Consultant, Military and Family Readiness, JBSA Lackland Air Force Base
    • Steven Robinson
      Assistant Attorney General and Managing Attorney, San Antonio Office, Texas Office of Attorney General

    10:45 am

    Break

    11:00 am

    Presentation: A Closer Look at Online Promotions Directed at Military Consumers and Strategies to Protect Sensitive Information

    Speaker:
    • Jonathan Gillman
      Founder and CEO, Omniangle Technologies

    11:15 am

    Panel 3: Military Consumers’ Experience in Debt Collection

    Moderator:

    • Thomas Kane
      Senior Attorney, FTC Division of Financial Practices

    Panelists:

    • Anthony Davis
      Team Lead, Community Readiness Consultant, Military and Family Readiness, JBSA Lackland Air Force Base
    • Timothy Gasaway
      Managing Attorney, Veterans Legal Assistance Project, Texas Legal Services Center
    • Olha N. M. Rybakoff
      Senior Counsel, Tennessee Office of Attorney General
    • Mark Thompson
      Owner and President, T. L. Thompson & Associates

    12:00 pm

    Lunch

    1:15 pm

    Presentation: Military.Consumer.gov
    Your tool for financial readiness

    Speaker:

    • Nat Wood
      Associate Director, FTC Division of Consumer and Business Education

    1:30 pm

    Panel 4: Legal Rights and Remedies for Military Consumers

    Moderator:

    • Duane Pozza
      Assistant Director, FTC Division of Financial Practices

    Panelists:

    • Andrew Cohen, Col. Ret. USA
      Director, Office of Financial Readiness, Department of Defense
    • James Dingivan, Maj. USAFR
      Assistant United States Attorney, Western District of Texas
    • Bob Elder
      Communications Coordinator, Texas State Securities Board
    • Bill Himpler
      Executive Vice President, American Financial Services Association
    • Paul Kantwill, Col. Ret. USA
      Assistant Director, Office of Servicemember Affairs, Consumer Financial Protection Bureau

    2:30 pm

    Break

    2:45 pm

    Panel 5: Promoting Financial Literacy and Capability for Military Consumers

    Moderator:

    • Nat Wood
      Associate Director, FTC Division of Consumer and Business Education

    Panelists:

    • Josh Borderud
      Director, Baylor University Law School Veterans Clinic
    • Andrew Cohen, Col. Ret. USA
      Director, Office of Financial Readiness, Department of Defense
    • Kelly Hruska
      Director, Office of Government Relations, National Military Family Association
    • Bud Schneeweis, Capt. Ret. USCG
      Associate Director, Military Financial Readiness, FINRA Foundation
    • David Winfrey
      Financial Counselor, Soldier and Family Assistance Center, Wounded Warriors Battalion, Fort Sam Houston, U.S. Army

    3:45 pm

    Closing Remarks

    • Jim Elliott
      Assistant Director, FTC Southwest Regional Office

FTC Privacy Policy

Under the Freedom of Information Act (“FOIA”) or other laws, we may be required to disclose to outside organizations the information you provide when you pre-register for events that require registration. The Commission will consider all timely and responsive public comments, whether filed in paper or electronic form, and as a matter of discretion, we make every effort to remove home contact information for individuals from the public comments before posting them on the FTC website.

The FTC Act and other laws we administer permit the collection of your pre-registration contact information and the comments you file to consider and use in this proceeding as appropriate. For additional information, including routine uses permitted by the Privacy Act, see the Commission’s Privacy Act system for public records and comprehensive privacy policy.

This event will be open to the public and may be photographed, videotaped, webcast, or otherwise recorded.  By participating in this event, you are agreeing that your image — and anything you say or submit — may be posted indefinitely at ftc.gov or on one of the Commission's publicly available social media sites.

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