WASHINGTON–America’s Credit Unions told NCUA that routing routine consumer disputes through the agency’s Consumer Assistance Center (CAC) is an emerging trend that warrants corrective action.
Iin a comment letter, the trade group said its members have reported a documented “sharp and sustained increase” in the volume of CAC complaints, adding that its recommendations align with NCUA’s Deregulation Project.
“Credit unions report that CAC complaint volumes have moved from a handful of matters per year to multiple matters per month,” the letter states. “The increase appears to be driven by 1) artificial intelligence-generated search results presenting federal complaint channels as a first option; and 2) a growing volume of social media content directing consumers to bypass institutional resolutions and go straight to federal regulators.”
The Recommendations
America’s Credit Unions said it is “respectfully” recommending NCUA introduce procedural guardrails on the CAC intake process that include:
- Amend the CAC complaint form to require the complainant to certify that they have attempted to resolve the matter directly with the credit union
- Where no such attempt is documented, return the complaint to the consumer with instructions to engage the credit union’s consumer assistance function
- Update NCUA public-facing materials, including the CAC web pages and any related consumer guides, to state plainly that members are expected to contact their credit union directly before escalating
- Publish consumer-facing guidance that corrects the AI-generated and social-media-driven misinformation now in circulation.
What Adjustments Would Do
“These adjustments would preserve every legitimate function of the CAC while restoring the institutional resolution process that benefits members, credit unions, and the agency,” the letter adds.
The comment letter can be found here.
