WASHINGTON – While credit unions have applauded changes announced by the CFPB that make it more difficult to file complaints against financial organizations, consumer groups are blasting the decision.
“Consumers who file a complaint with CFPB are now hit with aggressive new warning notices alerting them not to submit a credit reporting complaint to the consumer agency unless a dispute has already been formally filed with the credit reporting agency (CRA),” said a joint statement from numerous groups, including Consumer Action.
The organization noted that the notices, which went live on Feb. 4, also require people to agree to what it called “onerous and legally dubious statements about their eligibility to seek help. The notices are not limited to complaints about credit reporting errors, but appear before consumers file complaints for any financial issue ranging from mortgages to debt collection.”
No Formal Notice
The consumer groups said the CFPB’s action was taken without any formal notice just days after the CFPB announced a public input process to collect more information on how the consumer complaint system is working.
“The changes also appear to follow industry requests made last month to reduce the number of consumer complaints about credit reporting errors submitted to the CFPB,” the groups said.
‘Intimidating’ Warnings
“Consumers are bound to find these warnings intimidating, given that the CFPB is the federal agency that Americans have come to rely on to get some relief from their unresolved disputes with big financial firms,” Ruth Susswein, director of consumer protection at Consumer Action, said in a statement. “We encourage consumers to continue to submit complaints about ongoing credit reporting disputes with both the credit bureau and the CFPB. It is people’s right to report problems, and the agency’s responsibility to insist on a fair financial marketplace.”
More Than 5 Million Complaints
The organizations noted the consumer agency received more than 5.6 million consumer complaints in 2025, doubling the complaint volume of the previous year. Credit reporting complaints accounted for 85% of all complaints, with consumers often describing problems with incorrect information.
“The credit bureaus wanted fewer complaints, and the Trump-Vought CFPB delivered,” Tom Feltner, associate director for consumer policy at Americans for Financial Reform, said in a statement.. “But those complaints represent real families facing real financial harm. Making it harder to complain about your mortgage or credit card doesn’t fix the problems—it just hides them from public view while people continue to pay the price.”
As the CU Daily reported here, America’s Credit Unions said it welcomed the changes announced by the CFPB.
