Areas of Expertise
Ken Benton is the principal consumer regulations specialist in the Bank’s Supervision, Regulation, and Credit Department. As an attorney specializing in federal consumer protection laws, he works in the Consumer Compliance/Community Reinvestment Act unit, which examines Federal Reserve-supervised banks in the Third District to ensure they comply with these laws.
In this role, Ken focuses on two main areas: industry outreach and legal guidance. His outreach efforts reach community banks and other stakeholders through the pages of Consumer Compliance Outlook (CCO). Ken edits and writes articles for CCO, a quarterly publication that explains federal consumer compliance requirements for financial institutions. He also conducts webinars and in-person events on these requirements for financial institutions and other stakeholders.
Ken also hosts in-person events on consumer protection topics for Bank employees through the Knowledge at Noon series. These topics can range from preventing identity theft to explaining consumer credit scores/reports and their importance in credit, insurance, and employment decisions. Ken finds it “extremely gratifying” to help consumers understand their rights under federal law for financial services. He is also the go-to resource for examiners encountering complex legal questions during consumer compliance bank examinations, such as when a new law is being implemented.
One of his highlights at the Bank was a temporary assignment in the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System’s Legal Department, where he worked on the Regulation Z review to update the regulation’s consumer protections. During the review process, he helped revise the Board’s regulations for credit card disclosures. Prior to joining the Bank, Ken worked at a law firm where he specialized in consumer protection laws.