Last year,  74,000 consumers began mobile banking every day.

That number comes from a study cited by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, which announced today that it is launching an inquiry into mobile financial services and its effect on the underbanked.

The request for information (PDF) regarding the use of mobile banking is here and is due in 90 days.

Of particular interest to the bureau are the following points:

• Access for the underserved
• Real-time money management
• Customer service
• Privacy concerns and data breaches

The bureau notes that mobile financial services have the opportunity to help the underserved have more control over their financial lives and have their financial needs met more successfully. “Whether provided by banks or nonbanks,” the CFPB’s request notes, “mobile financial services can enable consumers to access myriad products and services that they may not be able to access due to location (not within their community), cost or other barriers to access.”

Speaking in New Orleans today, CFPB director Richard Cordray said the following:

In this modern age where people can manage their money on the go, there is great potential to provide access to more consumers and allow them to take greater control of their financial lives. At the same time, using mobile devices for all sorts of banking services can make some transactions cheaper or faster or both. But we need to make sure that the legal and regulatory framework can keep up effectively, so that all consumers can remain protected whether they are opening their wallet or scanning the screen on their smartphone.

Our colleagues at the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation and the Federal Reserve have already done laudable work in this area. Both have taken important steps to address the subject of mobile banking. Today, we are building on their knowledge and expanding it by commencing our own inquiry. We want to learn more from the American public about the opportunities and challenges associated with mobile financial products and services, especially as they may affect underserved consumers.