Where to Complain About Credit Discrimination

If you believe you have been a victim of credit discrimination, below are the appropriate government agencies to contact.

(To learn what constitutes credit discrimination, see the articles in our Fair Lending & Credit Discrimination area.) 

Consumer Financial Protection Bureau

This new federal agency was created with the goal of making the financial markets work for consumers. One of its tasks is to ensure that all consumers have access to consumer financial products and services. To that end, the CFPB created the Office of Fair Lending & Equal Opportunity. This office has authority over both the Equal Credit Opportunity Act which prohibits credit discrimination in the areas of mortgages, car loans, student loans, and credit cards. 

If you have a complaint about credit discrimination, the CPFB is a good place to start. You can file an online complaint at www.consumerfinance.gov/complaint.

Consumer Response Center Federal Trade Commission

Washington, DC 20580

Contact the FTC if you have been discriminated against by a store, mortgage company, small loan and finance company, oil company, public utility, state credit union, government lending program, or travel and expense credit card company. Although the FTC doesn’t intervene in individual disputes, the information you provide may show a pattern of violations on which it can act.

Comptroller of the Currency Compliance Management

Mail Stop 7-5
Washington, DC 20219

Use this address if your complaint is about a nationally chartered bank (“National” or “N.A.” will be in its name).

Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation Consumer Affairs Division

Washington, DC 20429

Contact the FDIC if your complaint is about a state-chartered bank that is insured by the FDIC but is not a member of the Federal Reserve System.

Office of Thrift Supervision Consumer Affairs Program

Washington, DC 20552

Use this address to complain about a federally chartered or federally insured savings and loan association.

National Credit Union Administration Consumer Affairs Division

Washington, DC 20456

Use this address if your complaint is about a federally chartered credit union.

Department of Justice Civil Rights Division

Washington, DC 20530

You can complain to the Justice Department about any type of creditor.

Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System Federal Reserve Consumer Help

P.O. Box 1200
Minneapolis, MN 55480
888-851-1920 (TTY: 877-766-8533) toll free
ConsumerHelp@FederalReserve.gov

Regulates state-chartered banks that are members of the Federal Reserve System, bank holding companies, and branches of foreign banks.

This article is an excerpt from Nolo's Solve Your Money Troubles: Debt, Credit & Bankruptcy, by Margaret Reiter and Robin Leonard.