The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau is a federal agency that helps protect consumers from bad actors in the financial services industry. In February 2025, the Trump administration halted work at the CFPB. Currently, the agency is in legal limbo and working with limited resources. In the past, if you needed to file a complaint against a bank, the CFPB was often the easiest place to do that — but where can consumers go now? Here’s what you need to know about the CFPB and alternatives you can use to file a complaint against a bank.
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What Is the CFPB and What Does it Do?
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau was created in 2010 in the aftermath of the Great Recession through the Dodd-Frank Act. The agency aims to protect consumers against financial institutions using deceptive or unfair practices.
“The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau makes sure that you’re safe when you use financial products like credit cards, mortgages, student loans, bank accounts, and ensures that companies comply with the law and takes action against them if they don’t,” says Lauren Saunders, associate director of the National Consumer Law Center.
What’s Going on With the CFPB Now?
In February 2025, acting director Russell Vought told CFPB employees to stop working. Elon Musk posted on the social media platform X, “CFPB RIP.” By mid-February, a judge temporarily blocked the mass layoffs at the agency. On March 10, a court hearing took place about the future of the agency. While the CFPB still exists, and the CFPB complaint page is still up, experts say CFPB staffers are unable to do their jobs.
“Unfortunately, the CFPB has been hollowed out … in its ability to do really any work,” says John Breyault, vice president of public policy at the National Consumers League, a consumer advocacy organization.
So the staff who might process a CFPB complaint might be limited. “We’ve been getting really conflicting reports about whether staff are working or not … I think you can still submit a complaint, but the processing of that complaint is at a minimum slowed down, and I think the contractors who are helping with those contracts have been terminated,” says Saunders.
Breyault also notes that the agency’s funding is under assault. “The CFPB is abandoning cases that they had brought to hold financial wrongdoers accountable. And instead, they are giving corporate pardons to predatory financial institutions,” Breyault says.
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Alternative Complaint Options
While you might still be able to submit a CFPB complaint, whether it gets addressed or not is uncertain. These are the other places to file a complaint against a bank.
The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation
Like the CFPB, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation was also created in the wake of a financial crisis — the Great Depression. It is the agency that insures deposit accounts up to $250,000.
The FDIC Division of Depositor and Consumer Protection investigates any consumer complaints regarding FDIC-supervised banks. You can submit an FDIC complaint online and generally expect a response within 60 days. If you’re unsure if your bank is FDIC-insured, you can check the FDIC Institution Directory.
The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency
The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency has a customer assistance group that ensures consumer complaints about financial institutions like national banks and federal savings associations get resolved.
You can submit an OCC complaint online. The OCC notes that it doesn’t offer legal advice and can’t get involved if your issue is being litigated. So if you’re wondering how to serve a legal complaint to your bank, that’s beyond the OCC’s reach.
The OCC site suggests that consumers file a complaint with their bank first. If you need to submit an OCC complaint, confirm that it is the entity that regulates your bank. The agency can only serve consumers who have accounts with national banks and federal savings associations that are regulated by the OCC.
The National Credit Union Administration
The National Credit Union Administration is the entity that insures members’ deposits at federally insured credit unions. Similar to the FDIC, the NCUA also insures accounts up to $250,000. If you have a complaint about a credit union, the NCUA’s Consumer Assistance Center helps consumers resolve any issues they might have. You can file a credit union complaint online.
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State Banking Supervisors
If you want to file a complaint against a bank, another place to do so is with state banking supervisors. The Conference of State Bank Supervisors has an online directory for your state banking department.
Note that each state has its own regulator, typically with a name like “Alabama State Banking Department” or “California Department of Financial Protection and Innovation.” In the directory, you can find your state banking supervisor’s website and contact information.
The Federal Reserve
Another option for submitting a complaint about a bank or financial institution is Federal Reserve Consumer Help. You have several options to submit a bank complaint, including online, mail, phone and fax. Your complaint will be acknowledged within 15 business days and you’ll get results from the investigation into your complaint within 60 days.
The Federal Trade Commission
Depending on the nature of your bank complaint, you may report your grievances to the Federal Trade Commission. The agency allows you to submit a complaint online about scams, illegal business practices or fraud.
File a Complaint Against Your Bank in Small Claims Court
If your complaint is serious because there is money at stake, you can file a complaint in small claims court. You may have to pay a filing fee, and the amount you can sue for is limited, depending on the jurisdiction. For example, that limit is $10,000 in New York City and $12,500 in California.
Social Media
If traditional methods aren’t getting you anywhere, you can complain about a bank and tag it on social media. Given the public nature of these platforms, you might get a faster response, as companies care about their public image and brand. Just remember that what you write is public. Be precise and to the point and ask yourself if you’d care if your employer, friends or family saw your complaint.
The Better Business Bureau
The Better Business Bureau publishes company ratings and customer reviews. If you need to file a complaint against a bank, you can find your financial institution, upload a customer review and submit a formal complaint.
Online Review Sites
You can also help other consumers and perhaps get the attention of your bank by submitting a complaint through online review sites like Trustpilot, Yelp and Google Reviews. For best results, be clear, specific and honest about what happened, keep your language clean and civil, and don’t include personal details like links and names.
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How to File a Formal Complaint Against a Bank
If you want to file a complaint against a bank, you’re likely frustrated. Your emotions can cloud the process, but you want to be rational and calm when you submit a complaint. This can help make your case and provide proof of any wrongdoing.
Here’s how to file a complaint against a bank.
1. Get information. You’ll need to submit your full name, address, and contact information. Make sure they’re the same ones you have on file with the bank. You’ll also need to provide the name and address of your financial institution and the type of your account. If you made a note of it, include the dates and who you contacted and what the result was.
2. Gather supporting documentation. If you have screenshots, emails, or other paperwork to support your case, keep it handy.
3. Write your complaint. Write your complaint. Include all pertinent details — what happened, where and when it happened, who was involved and any responses you received. You can also access a sample complaint letter and find out where to file complaints for other types of accounts.
4. Make copies. You may submit an online complaint against a bank and be able to hold onto your documents. But if you have to provide physical documents, make copies. “You should definitely keep a copy of your complaint, put a date on it, and keep any documents you have or screenshots,” says Saunders.
5. Submit a complaint against your bank. Find out who regulates your bank. Go to the regulator’s website and follow all instructions. Submit your complaint and mark it in your calendar. In most cases, you should receive a response within 60 days.
Your Political Representative
If you want to file a complaint against a bank, you have every right to do so. You may still be able to submit a CFPB complaint, but given the agency’s uncertain future, you can also look into other options. If you want to submit a different type of complaint in support of the CFPB, you can also do that.
“Complain to your congressional representatives, complain to your senators and your representatives. Sometimes they actually will help and let them know if you think it’s not acceptable that the consumer agency set up to help you is no longer doing its job,” says Saunders.
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Where to File a Complaint About Your Bank Now the CFPB Is Threatened originally appeared on usnews.com
