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‘Screwed twice’: The CFPB says it’s looking out for consumers. Its own data tells a different story
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) has dropped lawsuits against major financial companies under Donald Trump’s administration, while complaints about many of those firms have risen. The pattern raises questions about whether the agency is acting on consumer concerns as it steps back from enforcement.
A Guardian analysis found complaints against the 23 firms named in the dropped cases rose by more than 75% overall in the year after the dismissals; 17 firms saw increases. Complaints against Rocket Mortgage rose by more than 130%, and those against Branch Messenger increased by 315%. Across the CFPB database, published complaints grew from nearly 2.7 million in 2024 to 6.3 million so far this year. The bureau launched nearly 400 enforcement actions between mid-2012 and early 2025, but only two since Trump took office in January 2025.
In short
- The CFPB dropped cases against major financial firms.
- Complaints against most firms named in those cases rose.
- The bureau has launched two public enforcement actions since Trump took office.
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The case for
The rise in complaints against firms whose cases were dropped, alongside a sharp fall in enforcement actions, supports concern that the CFPB is responding less forcefully to consumer harms. The agency’s complaint data can help identify patterns that warrant investigation, and advocates may argue that abandoning cases while complaints grow weakens accountability and leaves consumers with fewer protections.
The case against
A rise in complaints does not by itself establish misconduct or show that a dismissed lawsuit was justified; complaint volumes can reflect changes in reporting, firm size or other factors. Supporters of the agency’s approach may argue that enforcement should focus on cases with strong evidence and legal merit, and that dropping some suits can be appropriate even as the bureau continues to review complaints through other means.