Advisory Opinion program
The Bureau’s Advisory Opinion program provides written guidance to assist regulated entities to better understand their legal and regulatory obligations through advisory opinions.
Parties may submit requests for advisory opinions regarding any issue under the Bureau’s purview that can be resolved through an interpretive rule.
Featured topic
On April 26, 2023, the CFPB issued an Advisory Opinion to affirm that the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA) and its implementing Regulation F prohibit a debt collector, as that term is defined in the statute and regulation, from suing or threatening to sue to collect a time-barred debt.
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Purpose of the program
The Advisory Opinion program provides a mechanism through which the Bureau can carry out its statutory purposes and objectives by better enabling compliance.
Policy and related documents
Final Advisory Opinions Policy
Advisory Opinion Letters
Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (Regulation F); Time-Barred Debt – April 26, 2023
Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act (Regulation X); Digital Mortgage Comparison-Shopping Platforms and Related Payments to Operators – Feb. 7, 2023
Fair Credit Reporting; Facially False Data – Oct. 20, 2022
Permissible purposes for furnishing, using, and obtaining consumer reports – July 7, 2022
Debt Collectors’ Collection of Pay-to-Pay Fees – June 29, 2022
Revocations or unfavorable changes to the terms of existing credit arrangements – May 9, 2022
Consumer reporting agencies’ matching practices – Nov. 4, 2021
Special purpose credit programs – Dec. 21, 2020
Earned wage access – Nov. 30, 2020
Private education loans – Nov. 30, 2020
Submit a request for an advisory opinion
Submit your request for an advisory opinion to advisoryopinion@cfpb.gov. Requests will be reviewed on a rolling basis.