The CFPB Just Made It Harder to File Complaints: What Every Family Should Do Next

Imagine applying for a mortgage, auto loan, or credit card only to discover that a mistake on your credit report could stand in the way of obtaining your loan, or cost you thousands of additional dollars.

Maybe an account that isn't yours appears on your report. Maybe a lender incorrectly reports a missed payment. Maybe you're a victim of identity theft and don't even know it yet.

For many consumers, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) has been the only entity that could help them. CFPB was created after the 2008 financial crisis to protect consumers from unfair, deceptive, and abusive financial practices. Since its creation, the agency has returned more than $21 billion in total financial relief to consumers since its inception in 2011, benefiting over 205 million consumers or consumer accounts.

One of the most effective tools for resolving these problems has been the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) complaint system. But recent changes at the CFPB could make it harder for consumers to file complaints and get problems resolved. Here is what you can do to protect yourself and your family.

3 Things You Should Do Right Now

1. Check Your Credit Reports Regularly

Credit report errors are surprisingly common and can affect your ability to qualify for a mortgage, obtain favorable interest rates, secure a credit card, or even pass certain employment screenings.

Nearly half of all credit reports contain an error. It’s incumbent on you to check your credit reports for errors. To do so, go to annualcreditreport.com. You get one free credit report per year from each of the three credit companies (Experian, Equifax, TransUnion). Look for:

• Accounts that do not belong to you

• Incorrect payment histories

• Duplicate accounts

• Incorrect balances

• Signs of identity theft

• Negative information that should have been removed

2. Keep Documentation for Every Financial Dispute

Whenever you have a dispute involving a lender, credit bureau, bank, mortgage servicer, or debt collector, save copies of everything.

3. Dispute Credit Report Errors Immediately

If you find inaccurate information on your credit report, immediately contact the credit reporting company and clearly identify each error. Explain why the information is incorrect and provide supporting documentation.

You should also contact the company that supplied the information, such as the lender, bank, or debt collector. The Fair Credit Reporting Act provides important protections, but those protections work best when consumers act quickly and maintain records.

Click here for the step-by-step process outlined by the FTC to dispute errors on your credit report.

What Changed at the CFPB?

The Trump administration has pursued a sustained effort to weaken and effectively dismantle the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.

The administration replaced agency leadership with a Project 2025 co-author, halted many agency operations, attempted to terminate large portions of the workforce, froze enforcement and supervisory activities, withdrew or abandoned consumer protection cases, and sought to sharply reduce the CFPB’s funding and capacity.

The administration also ordered employees to stop work, closed the agency’s headquarters, canceled contracts, removed public information, and pursued staffing cuts that would have left only a small fraction of employees in place.

According to Democratic leadership serving in the U.S. Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs, the 2025 Trump-Vought attack on the CFPB cost consumers up to $19 billion.

It comes as no surprise that Trump's leadership at the CFPB has further weakened the system that supports consumers, particularly its consumer complaint process. And of course, the credit reporting lobbyists are fully supportive of weakening the CFPB.

Related: How the Trump Administration’s Attacks on the FTC and CFPB Put Everyday Americans at Risk

The Bottom Line

Whether you're buying a house, financing a car, applying for a credit card, or simply trying to keep your financial life on track, consumer protection affects you. Now more than ever, when it comes to protecting your family's finances, the most important watchdog may ultimately be you.

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