How to File a CFPB Complaint Against Your Bank (Step by Step)
Filing a CFPB complaint is free, takes about 10 minutes, and is one of the most effective ways to get a financial institution to resolve a dispute.
Had a problem with your bank that you can't get resolved? Filing a complaint with the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) is free, takes about 10 minutes, and often produces results that hours on hold with customer service don't.
When to file a CFPB complaint
- Unauthorized charges or fees you can't get reversed
- Incorrect information on your credit report from a bank
- Mortgage disputes (incorrect payoff amounts, escrow errors)
- Debt collection practices you believe are illegal
- Bank account closures without explanation
Step 1: Go to consumerfinance.gov/complaint
The CFPB's complaint portal is at consumerfinance.gov/complaint. You can also call 1-855-411-2372.
Step 2: Choose your product and describe the problem
Select the financial product and describe the issue clearly and factually. Include dates, dollar amounts, and what steps you've already taken. Upload any relevant documents.
Step 3: Submit and wait
The CFPB forwards your complaint to the company, which has 15 days to respond (and 60 days to provide a final response). If the company's response is unsatisfactory, you can tell the CFPB — that disagreement is tracked in the database.
Data sources: FDIC BankFind Suite (quarterly call reports), NCUA Financial Performance Reports, CFPB Consumer Complaint Database. Financial figures reflect the most recently published quarterly call report data. Complaint data is updated as new CFPB records are published. The Bankzia Trust Grade is a proprietary composite score — not a government rating. Deposits at all listed institutions are federally insured up to $250,000 per depositor, per ownership category.
Frequently Asked Questions
Betty Jones has spent 12 years covering banking regulation, consumer finance, and the economics of trust in financial institutions. She started her career at a regional newspaper covering the Federal Reserve and FDIC regulatory beat before moving into financial media. Betty holds a journalism degree from the University of Texas at Austin and has been a contributing analyst at several fintech publications. She built Bankzia's editorial framework and is the primary author of the Trust Grade methodology explainer series.
