Research and reports

A new analysis in our Making Ends Meet survey series looks at how consumers use payday, auto title, and pawn loans.

The Office of Research released a research brief summarizing the results of an online experiment exploring how the amount of available savings may influence decisions about using savings to pay down credit card debt.

This report explores the prevalence of actual payment information in consumer credit reporting.

2020 Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection (CFPB/BCFP) report on college credit card agreements.

This second COVID-19 Special Issue Brief describes trends in delinquency rates, payment assistance, credit access, and account balance measures with a focus on the period since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Quarterly consumer credit trends reports focus on a specific consumer financial product or issue using a longitudinal, nationally representative sample of de-identified credit records maintained by a nationwide consumer reporting agency.

This report uses the Bureau’s Consumer Credit Panel to study the early effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on credit applications overall, by credit score group, and across the states.

2019 Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection (CFPB/BCFP) report on college credit card agreements.

In this issue of Supervisory Highlights, we report examination findings in the areas of automobile loan origination, credit card account management, debt collection, furnishing, and mortgage origination that were generally completed between December 2018 and March 2019 (unless otherwise stated). The report does not impose any new or different legal requirements, and all violations described in the report are based only on those specific facts and circumstances noted during those examinations. 

Every two years, the CFPB reports on the state of the consumer credit card market. This is our report for 2019.

This eleventh data point examines how often credit card balances are revolved on an account, or borrowed, how long balances are revolved, and how regularly they are paid down.

The Bureau’s annual report on college credit card agreements, pursuant to the CARD Act.

Our data point reports are prepared by our Office of Research to provide an evidence-based perspective on consumer financial markets, consumer behavior, and regulations to inform the public discourse. 

Quarterly consumer credit trends reports focus on a specific consumer financial product or issue using a longitudinal, nationally-representative sample of de-identified credit records maintained by a nationwide credit reporting company.

The Credit Card Accountability, Responsibility and Disclosure Act (“CARD Act”) requires us to submit to Congress, and to make available to the public, an annual report that lists information submitted to the Bureau concerning agreements between credit card issuers and institutions of higher education or certain organizations affiliated with such institutions.

Every two years, the CFPB reports on the state of the consumer credit card market. This is our report for 2017.

In this issue of Supervisory Highlights, we report examination findings in the areas of auto finance lending; credit card account management; debt collection; deposits; mortgage servicing; mortgage origination; service providers; short-term, small-dollar lending; remittances; and fair lending. As in past editions, this report includes information about recent public enforcement actions that were a result, at least in part, of our supervisory work. The report also includes information on the Bureau’s use of its supervisory and enforcement authority, recently released examination procedures, and Bureau guidance.

In this issue of Supervisory Highlights, we report examination findings in the areas of automobile loan servicing, credit cards, debt collection, mortgage servicing, payday lending, and small business lending that were generally completed between December 2017 and May 2018.

The CFPB’s Office of Consumer Response hears directly from consumers about the challenges they face in the marketplace, brings their concerns to the attention of companies, and assists in addressing their complaints. This Monthly Complaint Report provides a high-level snapshot of trends in consumer complaints.

Rules-based educational messages are low-cost and scalable, and can be effective. Exposure to a guideline reminding consumers to be cognizant of credit card usage led to lower card balances among consumers who carry a balance.

This report describes CFPB research on approaches to helping consumers manage their spending, such as approaches that would give consumers real-time feedback on their spending at the point of purchase.

The Credit Card Accountability, Responsibility and Disclosure Act (“CARD Act”) requires us to submit to Congress, and to make available to the public, an annual report that lists information submitted to the Bureau concerning agreements between credit card issuers and institutions of higher education or certain organizations affiliated with such institutions.

The CFPB’s Office of Consumer Response hears directly from consumers about the challenges they face in the marketplace, brings their concerns to the attention of companies, and assists in addressing their complaints. This Monthly Complaint Report provides a high-level snapshot of trends in consumer complaints.

The Credit Card Accountability, Responsibility and Disclosure Act (“CARD Act”) requires us to submit to Congress, and to make available to the public, an annual report that lists information submitted to the Bureau concerning agreements between credit card issuers and institutions of higher education or certain organizations affiliated with such institutions.

Every two years, the CFPB reports on the state of the consumer credit card market. This is our report for 2015.