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Consumer Help

A number of federal resources are available to protect consumers, investors, homebuyers and renters from hardship, fraud and financial difficulty.

Please find them below:


  

Consumer Resources

For Trouble with:

  • Payday Lenders
  • Mortgage Servicers
  • Debt Collection
  • Credit Card Companies
  • Credit Reporting
  • Student Loans
  • Student Debt Servicers

Visit the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s consumer complaint database to file a complaint.
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau is a new agency created by the Dodd-Frank Act designed to be on your side when dealing with financial institutions.

For Victims of:
  • Misleading Advertising
  • Phising Scams
  • Data Security Breaches

Contact the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), to report the abuse and get help on what to do next.
The Federal Trade Commission is a law enforcement and consumer protection agency that ensures products are advertised truthfully and that financial institutions protect your personal data from hackers and identify thieves.

Questions about your Credit Report?
Federal law requires each of the three nationwide consumer credit reporting companies to provide give you with a free credit report every 12 months upon request.

There are three ways to receive your credit report:

Mail the completed form to:

Annual Credit Report Request Service
P.O. Box 105281
Atlanta, GA 30348-5281


Homebuyer, Homeowner and Renter Assistance

Difficulty Paying Your Mortgage

Questions about your loan

  • Loan lookup tool helps you determine who owns your loan:
  • If Fannie-Mae does own your loan, you may be eligible for programs designed to make your mortgage more affordable like Home Affordable Refinance Program (HARP) or the Home Affordable Modification Program (HAMP). You can find out more about these options at the Fannie Mae, KnowYourOptions.com page.

Resources for Renters

  • For federal resources specific to renters in subsidized housing, public housing and those using the Housing Choice Voucher Program visit HUD's rental assistance page.

  • For additional rental help in your state visit HUD's local rental information page.

  • For those programs operated by the Office of Public and Indian Housing, the PIH Customer Service Center serves as a central source of information for all programs operated by the Office of Public and Indian Housing, which includes the Public Housing and the Housing Choice Voucher programs.

Prospective homebuyers

  • Find an lender to tell you more about low-downpayment loan products offered by the Federal Housing Administration, which also offers low closing costs and easy credit qualifying.

  • If you're in the market for a new home, you can search listings of real estate owned homes for sale available through Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.


Investor Questions and Complaints

Investor Complaints
  • Visit the Securities and Exchange Commission's (SEC) investor complaint center.

Questions about investing?

  • Visit Investor.gov, the SEC's website dedicated solely to the needs of investors.

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission is the federal agency responsible for protecting investors, maintaining fair, orderly, and efficient markets, and facilitating capital formation. The SEC oversees and regulates key securities market participants, including securities exchanges, securities brokers and dealers, investment advisors, and mutual funds. Also, the SEC, often with whistleblower tips from investors, regularly brings civil enforcement actions against individuals and companies for violation of the securities laws. More general information can be found at the SEC's Contact Us page.

State-based investor protections






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