The US Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) has seen a substantial increase in consumer complaints against financial firms, particularly after the Trump administration began dismissing consumer protection lawsuits. A Guardian analysis of CFPB data indicates that complaints against companies whose cases were dropped rose by more than 75%.
Of the 23 financial firms named as defendants in the now-dismissed suits, 17 experienced an increase in complaints. For example, complaints against Rocket Mortgage reportedly increased by over 130%, and those against Branch Messenger Inc surged by 315% in the year after their respective cases were dismissed.
This trend is part of a broader rise in public complaints to the CFPB, which have grown from nearly 2.7 million in 2024 to 6.3 million so far this year. Experts and former CFPB employees suggest this points to a disconnect between the agency's mission and its current actions.
Since Donald Trump's inauguration on 20 January 2025, the CFPB has initiated only two public enforcement actions. This contrasts with an average of approximately 30 actions per year between mid-2012 and early 2025, which previously helped provide over $21 billion in restitution and canceled debts to consumers.