How to File a Complaint with the CFPB (and When It Works)
If a bank, card issuer, lender, debt collector or credit bureau won't fix a problem, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) lets you file a free complaint that the company has to respond to.
Checked October 1, 2026.
What you can complain about
- Bank accounts: unexpected fees, frozen accounts, overdraft problems. See how overdraft fees work.
- Credit cards: billing errors, fees, unauthorised charges.
- Credit reports: errors the bureau won't correct. See how to dispute a credit report error.
- Loans: mortgages, car loans, student loans and personal loans.
- Debt collection and money transfers.
How to file
- Try the company first and keep a record of what you were told.
- Go to consumerfinance.gov/complaint and choose the product and issue.
- Describe what happened in a clear timeline: dates, amounts, who you spoke to.
- Say what you want: a refund, a correction, a fee reversed.
- Attach documents such as statements, letters and screenshots.
What happens next
The CFPB sends your complaint to the company, which generally responds within 15 days and closes most complaints within 60 days. You'll get the response through your CFPB account and can say whether you're satisfied. Complaints are also used to spot problems across the industry.
Tips that help
- Keep it factual and specific, not angry.
- Ask for one clear fix.
- Include account numbers only where the form asks, and never share passwords.
FAQ
Does filing a CFPB complaint cost anything? No. It's free.
Does the CFPB still accept complaints? Yes, through consumerfinance.gov/complaint. Check the site for the current process.
What if the company's answer doesn't fix it? You can say so in your CFPB account, contact your state attorney general or banking regulator, or for credit report errors, dispute again with new documents.
Figures and rules in this article are checked against the official sources below. Where they disagree with us, they win.
