CFPB Consumer Complaint Profile

Cathay Bank

What 130 consumer complaints filed with the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau reveal about how this company handles credit, billing and collection disputes.

130
Total complaints
19
Last 12 months
98.5%
Timely response
15
States affected

The verdict

Cathay Bank ranks #1182 of 3,848 financial companies by CFPB complaint volume, with 130 complaints on record. It answers 98.5% of complaints on time — above the 93% median for companies with 100+ complaints.

#1182
of 3,848 companies by volume
98.5%
answered on time
Checking or savings …
most-complained product
15
states with complaints
Cathay Bank timely response rate 98.5%
Industry benchmark

Percent of CFPB complaints answered within the regulator's expected window. Industry benchmark sits at 95%.

Complaints by Product

Checking or savings account — Checking account 29
Money transfer, virtual currency, or money service — Domestic (US) money transfer 19
Checking or savings account — CD (Certificate of Deposit) 18
Checking or savings account — Other banking product or service 13
Mortgage — Conventional home mortgage 11
Bank account or service — Checking account 6
Mortgage — Other type of mortgage 4
Checking or savings account — Savings account 4
Mortgage — Other mortgage 3
Money transfer, virtual currency, or money service — International money transfer 3

Top Issues

1.Managing an account 45
2.Fraud or scam 17
3.Trouble during payment process 10
4.Opening an account 9
5.Closing an account 7
6.Other transaction problem 6
7.Account opening, closing, or management 6
8.Problem with a lender or other company charging your account 3
9.Applying for a mortgage or refinancing an existing mortgage 3
10.Closing on a mortgage 3

Complaints by Year

Year Complaints
2012 1
2013 1
2014 1
2015 4
2016 3
2017 3
2018 6
2019 5
2020 7
2021 11
2022 22
2023 23
2024 21
2025 14
2026 8

Complaints by State (Top 15)

California 73
New York 16
Washington 6
New Jersey 5
Florida 4
North Carolina 4
Texas 4
Massachusetts 2
Iowa 1
Minnesota 1
Illinois 1
Maryland 1
South Carolina 1
Nevada 1
Oregon 1

Company Responses

Closed with explanation 120
Closed with monetary relief 9
Closed with non-monetary relief 1

What the CFPB Complaint Record Shows for Cathay Bank

The CFPB Consumer Complaint Database has logged 130 complaints against Cathay Bank overall, with 19 of those filed in the trailing 12 months. Reports have come from consumers in 15 states and territories, making this a multi-regional complaint footprint. The single largest complaint category is "Checking or savings account," which consistently leads the product-level breakdown and signals where consumer friction is most acute. Within that category, the most frequently cited specific issue is "Managing an account" — a useful starting point for anyone trying to understand what goes wrong most often in the company's consumer interactions.

Cathay Bank's timely response rate stands at 98.5%, meaning that share of CFPB-forwarded complaints received a company reply within the 15-day window the Bureau expects. That figure is at or above the industry benchmark and suggests the company's intake and escalation processes are functioning as designed. Consumers formally disputed the company's response in 16.7% of resolved cases, a signal of how often the initial resolution failed to satisfy the complainant. Of complaints that were resolved, 7.7% closed with some form of monetary or non-monetary relief to the consumer.

Complaint counts alone do not tell the full story — larger institutions with more customers will naturally generate more complaints in absolute terms. The more informative signals are the direction of the yearly trend shown above, the state-level concentration (which hints at regional servicing issues or regulatory exposure), and the ratio of monetary-relief closures to closed-without-relief outcomes. Taken together, these fields give consumers a reasonable empirical basis for deciding whether to escalate a dispute, and give researchers a starting point for investigating institutional patterns.

Educational data summary, not financial or legal advice. Individual complaint outcomes vary. Consumers should consult a qualified attorney or financial advisor for guidance on a specific dispute.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many CFPB complaints does Cathay Bank have?

Cathay Bank has 130 total consumer complaints filed with the CFPB, with 19 filed in the last 12 months.

Does Cathay Bank respond to complaints on time?

Cathay Bank has a 98.5% timely response rate to CFPB complaints. This is considered excellent.

What product generates the most complaints for Cathay Bank?

The most complained-about product for Cathay Bank is "Checking or savings account." You can view the full product breakdown on this page.

What is the most common complaint issue with Cathay Bank?

The most common issue reported by consumers about Cathay Bank is "Managing an account." All complaint issues are listed above with their counts.

How do I file a complaint against Cathay Bank?

You can file a complaint against Cathay Bank directly with the CFPB at consumerfinance.gov/complaint. The CFPB will forward your complaint to the company and work to get you a response, typically within 15 days.

In how many states have consumers complained about Cathay Bank?

Consumers in 15 states and territories have filed complaints about Cathay Bank with the CFPB.

Source: CFPB Consumer Complaint Database CFPB Consumer Complaint Database Data through March 2026

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