WASHINGTON — The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau has moved to tighten requirements around its consumer complaint portal for credit and consumer reporting disputes, reinforcing that consumers must first attempt to resolve inaccuracies directly with a credit reporting agency (CRA) before turning to the CFPB.
Under the updated notice, consumers are legally required to file a dispute with the relevant CRA before submitting a complaint to the CFPB about inaccurate or incomplete information on their credit report. Consumers must also attest that their submission is truthful and that either 45 days have passed since they filed their dispute with the CRA or that the dispute is no longer pending.
The CFPB warns that complaints filed prematurely may not be processed. If a CRA informs the Bureau that a consumer failed to first dispute the issue directly, the CFPB will discontinue handling the complaint. The agency also cautions consumers not to submit complaints while a dispute is still active, noting that CRAs are required to respond within 30–45 days and that early filings can slow the system for others who followed the process correctly.
CU Trades Respond
America’s Credit Unions said the changes address long-standing concerns about duplicative or improperly filed complaints clogging the portal. ACU noted it had pressed for stronger guardrails through a 2024 response to a CFPB request for information and again this year via a joint trade letter.
“We welcome the CFPB’s decision to strengthen guardrails in its consumer complaint portal to ensure complaints are real, non-duplicative, and properly attested to by consumers. America’s Credit Unions repeatedly urged these improvements, including in our 2024 response to the CFPB’s request for information and again this year through a joint trades letter,” ACU President and CEO Scott Simpson said.
“For many credit unions, especially large institutions, the volume of duplicative or unverifiable complaints has required significant staff time and resources that could otherwise be focused on serving members. These updates help restore balance to the complaint process, improve data quality, and ensure the system better reflects genuine consumer concerns.
“A fair, accurate complaint process benefits consumers, regulators, and financial institutions alike, and we appreciate the CFPB taking a constructive step in that direction,” continued Simpson.
The Defense Credit Union Council said the CFPB's decision to tighten requirements around credit reporting complaints reflects a pragmatic and necessary alignment of the complaint portal with existing law and sound consumer protection principles.
"By reinforcing that consumers first work directly with credit reporting agencies to resolve inaccuracies before submitting complaints, the CFPB is improving the quality and integrity of data in a system that millions of Americans rely on for fair access to credit," stated DCUC Chief Advocacy Officer Jason Stverak. "For credit unions — especially those serving defense communities — the prior volume of duplicative or premature complaints has siphoned significant time and resources away from serving members and resolving legitimate issues. These updated guardrails help reduce unnecessary administrative burden, improve complaint resolution efficiency, and ensure that the CFPB’s tools are focused on genuine, substantiated consumer concerns.
"A fairer, more accurate complaint process benefits consumers, financial institutions, and the marketplace alike," continued Stverak. "We appreciate the CFPB’s willingness to incorporate feedback from stakeholders and take constructive steps that honor both statutory requirements and practical operational needs.”
CFPB officials have not signaled that the changes limit consumer access to the portal; rather, they frame the update as aligning the system with existing law while improving the integrity of complaint data used by regulators and the public.