CFPB Ombudsman

Today, I want to share with you our first CFPB Ombudsman’s annual report describing the work we’ve done in the last year. Each year we plan on delivering this report to the CFPB Director and then sharing it with you.

Last December, we opened the Ombudsman’s Office to assist in resolving individual and systemic process issues, that a consumer or provider of consumer financial products and services has with the CFPB, by advocating for a fair process. This first report shares how we set up the office and describes, in a summary way, who reached out to us since the office opened and why. It talks about our informal feedback to the CFPB throughout the year. It discusses the systemic issues we reviewed that affect both consumers and providers of consumer financial products and services, our recommendations to the CFPB, and the CFPB’s responses. We also highlight plans for the coming year.

We are especially excited about this report because it is our first. Let us know what you think at CFPBOmbudsman@cfpb.gov.

Wendy Kamenshine is the Ombudsman for the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.

Did you know that the CFPB Ombudsman’s Office is a resource that is available to you? We are an independent, impartial, and confidential resource to help you resolve process issues arising from CFPB activities.

You may have encountered an ombudsman in other areas of your life – maybe you’ve read a newspaper ombudsman’s column, used the ombudsman at an office of a state or local government agency, or perhaps your school has one.

The word ombudsman originated over two hundred years ago in Sweden. Nowadays there are two main types of ombudsmen. Some – like the CFPB Ombudsman’s Office – work to resolve issues between the public and the government; others address internal workforce concerns. Regardless of focus, all ombudsmen look at individual and systemic issues and may make recommendations to address concerns.

The CFPB Ombudsman’s Office follows the essential ombudsman tenets of independence, impartiality, and confidentiality, as described further on our webpage, which together allow us to advocate for a fair process.

Wondering when you should use the CFPB Ombudsman’s Office?

First, we ask you to try the Bureau’s regular processes to get help on your financial product, such as a mortgage or credit card, by filing a complaint with the CFPB. If during the complaint’s lifecycle, you have an issue with the CFPB’s complaint process that cannot be resolved by the CFPB hotline staff (1-855-411-2372), please contact us. You also may contact us if you would like to keep your concerns confidential.

My team and I look forward to hearing from you!

Wendy Kamenshine is the CFPB Ombudsman

As the nation’s first federal agency focused on consumer financial protection, we have been hard at work putting procedures and mechanisms in place to protect you from unfair, deceptive, and abusive financial practices (more…)