Watch the CFPB conference on auto finance here:  http://www.consumerfinance.gov/blog/live-from-the-cfpb/ “It makes no difference if the lender intended to discriminate:  the outcome and the result is the same”.  Richard Cordray, 11.14.13  Cordray says that the CFPB does not have jurisdiction over auto dealers, but it does have jurisdiction over auto lenders.  Cordray says that the lender’s allowing the dealer discretion to charge varying interest rates gives possibility of discriminatory abuse.  Cordray says that the approach the CFPB takes is not unique — says it uses proven statistical analysis to determine whether someone is in a protected group.  Lenders need robust compliance procedures, or adopting some other pricing mechanism other than discretionary price markup, such as a flat fee per deal.  Such alternative pricing networks can fairly compensate dealers while avoiding discriminatory practices.  CFPB intends to find and stop policies that are “fairly formed but discriminatory in operation”.