Populus Financial Group, Inc. (F/K/A Ace Cash Express)

CFPB Consumer Complaint Profile

2,086
Total Complaints
101
Last 12 Months
98.3%
Timely Response
51
States Affected
Populus Financial Group, Inc. (F/K/A Ace Cash Express) timely response rate 98.3%
Industry benchmark

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

Credit utilization context — why this matters

A primer on how revolving balance ratios shape credit-bureau scoring; useful when reading complaints about account closures and credit-line cuts.

Ideal (+0 to +10)0-10Healthy (~0 to -10)10-30Moderate (-10 to -30)30-50High (-30 to -50)50-75Very high (-45 to -70)75-100Maxed (-60 to -100+)100-12030%

FICO impact ranges synthesize myFICO + Experian + Equifax consumer-education materials. Individual results vary.

Complaints by Product

Debt collection — Payday loan debt 484
Debt collection — Payday loan 357
Payday loan 326
Payday loan, title loan, or personal loan — Payday loan 280
Debt collection — I do not know 111
Payday loan, title loan, or personal loan — Installment loan 70
Consumer Loan — Installment loan 69
Payday loan, title loan, personal loan, or advance loan — Payday loan 60
Debt collection — Other (i.e. phone, health club, etc.) 45
Money transfer, virtual currency, or money service — Check cashing service 44

Top Issues

1.Took or threatened to take negative or legal action 295
2.Communication tactics 222
3.False statements or representation 141
4.Struggling to pay your loan 132
5.Taking/threatening an illegal action 131
6.Charged fees or interest I didn't expect 113
7.Can't contact lender 95
8.Charged fees or interest you didn't expect 82
9.Attempts to collect debt not owed 76
10.Cont'd attempts collect debt not owed 65

Complaints by Year

Year Complaints
2013 53
2014 207
2015 227
2016 294
2017 189
2018 171
2019 221
2020 243
2021 202
2022 76
2023 40
2024 48
2025 93
2026 22

Complaints by State (Top 15)

Texas 660
California 315
Ohio 124
Florida 114
Colorado 71
Missouri 60
Tennessee 55
Louisiana 52
Virginia 43
Oregon 42
Arizona 37
Washington 35
Minnesota 34
North Carolina 29
Pennsylvania 29

Company Responses

Closed with explanation 2,012
Closed 65
Closed with monetary relief 4
In progress 3
Closed with non-monetary relief 2

What the CFPB Complaint Record Shows for Populus Financial Group, Inc. (F/K/A Ace Cash Express)

The CFPB Consumer Complaint Database has logged 2,086 complaints against Populus Financial Group, Inc. (F/K/A Ace Cash Express) overall, with 101 of those filed in the trailing 12 months. Reports have come from consumers in 51 states and territories, making this a nationwide complaint footprint. The single largest complaint category is "Debt collection," 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 "Took or threatened to take negative or legal action" — a useful starting point for anyone trying to understand what goes wrong most often in the company's consumer interactions.

Populus Financial Group, Inc. (F/K/A Ace Cash Express)'s timely response rate stands at 98.3%, 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 10.2% of resolved cases, a signal of how often the initial resolution failed to satisfy the complainant. Of complaints that were resolved, 0.3% 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 Populus Financial Group, Inc. (F/K/A Ace Cash Express) have?

Populus Financial Group, Inc. (F/K/A Ace Cash Express) has 2,086 total consumer complaints filed with the CFPB, with 101 filed in the last 12 months.

Does Populus Financial Group, Inc. (F/K/A Ace Cash Express) respond to complaints on time?

Populus Financial Group, Inc. (F/K/A Ace Cash Express) has a 98.3% timely response rate to CFPB complaints. This is considered excellent.

What product generates the most complaints for Populus Financial Group, Inc. (F/K/A Ace Cash Express)?

The most complained-about product for Populus Financial Group, Inc. (F/K/A Ace Cash Express) is "Debt collection." You can view the full product breakdown on this page.

What is the most common complaint issue with Populus Financial Group, Inc. (F/K/A Ace Cash Express)?

The most common issue reported by consumers about Populus Financial Group, Inc. (F/K/A Ace Cash Express) is "Took or threatened to take negative or legal action." All complaint issues are listed above with their counts.

How do I file a complaint against Populus Financial Group, Inc. (F/K/A Ace Cash Express)?

You can file a complaint against Populus Financial Group, Inc. (F/K/A Ace Cash Express) 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 Populus Financial Group, Inc. (F/K/A Ace Cash Express)?

Consumers in 51 states and territories have filed complaints about Populus Financial Group, Inc. (F/K/A Ace Cash Express) with the CFPB.

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

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