ALEXANDRIA, Va.—NCUA has introduced a Consumer Assistance Center, an online tool that allows consumers to send the agency inquiries, complaints and additional documentation online through a secure portal.
In the coming weeks credit unions also will be able to use the portal to submit complaint response information securely and check the status and number of complaints concerning their institutions, the agency said. Credit unions’ use of the portal will be voluntary, NCUA added.
The online Consumer Assistance Center portal is located on the agency’s consumer website, MyCreditUnion.gov.
As CUToday.info previously reported, NCUA has also implemented new complaint resolution procedures that improve and streamline how the agency handles consumer complaints involving federal consumer financial protection laws and regulations.
Under the new complaint handling procedures, a complaint filed with the Consumer Assistance Center involving a federal consumer financial protection matter will be sent to the credit union, which will have 60 days to resolve the problem and inform the agency of the outcome. If the complaint remains unresolved, the Consumer Assistance Center may begin its own investigation to determine compliance with federal consumer financial protection laws and regulations.
The agency said it plans to release a video for credit unions explaining how to use the online Consumer Assistance Center portal and the new complaint resolution process. NCUA will also host a webinar for credit unions about the portal and other federal consumer financial protection matters in October.