File a Complaint

In 2011, a new agency called the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) will be created, and all consumer finance complaints should be directed to it.  Meanwhile, you should still use the old system of filing complaints described below.

To file a complaint against a lender, you need to know who regulates it.  Among other things, this depends on whether your bank has a federal or a state-based charter.  Use these pages to figure out who regulates your lender, or follow our suggestion below.

Our Suggestion

If you cannot figure out who regulates your lender, we suggest filing your complaint with the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC), The Federal Reserve Board (FRB), and your State Banking Office.  Both the OCC and the FRB promise to reroute complaints mistakenly filed with them.

Identify Your Lender’s Regulator

Who Regulates Your Bank?  It’s in the Title (Sometimes)

It’s not always easy to identify who regulates your lender, but the name of your lender might provide a hint (see chart below).

If your bank’s name doesn’t help, check these lists to see if your bank is a national bank or an operating subsidiary of a national bank.  If so, it is regulated by the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency and you should file your complaint with them.

If…	Then…
“Federal Credit Union” is in the title,	Your bank is likely a Credit Union.  Complain to the National Credit Union Administration.
“National” is in the title,	Your bank is likely a National Bank.  Complain to the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency.
“National Association” is in the title,	Your bank is likely a National Bank.  Complain to the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency.
The initials “N.A.” are in the title,	Your bank is likely a National Bank.  Complain to the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency.
The initials “NT&SA” are in the title,	Your bank is likely a National Bank.  Complain to the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency.
“Federal” is in the title,	Your bank is likely a Federally Chartered Savings Bank.  Complain to theOffice of Thrift Supervision.
The initials “FSB” are in the title,	Your bank is likely a Federally Chartered Savings Bank.  Complain to theOffice of Thrift Supervision.

Full Lender/Regulator Chart

If you happen to know what type of bank your lender is, this chart can tell you where to complain.

Lender Type	Regulator
National Banks	Office of the Comptroller of the Currency
Operating Subsidiaries of National Banks	Office of the Comptroller of the Currency
Branches of Foreign Banks	Office of the Comptroller of the Currency
Federal Credit Unions	National Credit Union Administration
State-chartered Credit Unions	Click Here
Savings Associations	Office of Thrift Supervision
Federally Chartered Savings Banks	Office of Thrift Supervision
Credit Reporting Agencies	Federal Trade Commission
Non-Bank Lenders	State Banking Office (click on your state on the map) or theFederal Trade Commission
State-chartered Banks in the Federal Reserve System	The Federal Reserve Board and your State Banking Office (click on your state on the map)
State-chartered Banks outside the Federal Reserve System	The FDIC (Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation) and your State Banking Office (click on your state on the map)
Third party debt collectors	Federal Trade Commission