CFPB Consumer Complaint Profile
Populus Financial Group, Inc. (F/K/A Ace Cash Express)
What 2,086 consumer complaints filed with the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau reveal about how this company handles credit, billing and collection disputes.
Data updated 2026-05-15
- 2,086
- Total complaints
- 101
- Last 12 months
- 98.3%
- Timely response
- 51
- States affected
The verdict
Among 3,848 financial companies tracked by CFPB complaint volume, Populus Financial Group, Inc. (F/K/A Ace Cash Express) sits at #203, with 2,086 complaints logged. 98.3% of its complaints get an on-time reply, beating the 93% median for the 100+ complaint peer group.
- #203
- of 3,848 companies by volume
- 98.3%
- answered on time
- Debt collection
- most-complained product
- 51
- states with complaints
Percent of CFPB complaints answered within the regulator's expected window. Industry benchmark sits at 95%.
Reading this profile
Complaints by Product
Top Issues
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)
Company Responses
What the CFPB Complaint Record Shows for Populus Financial Group, Inc. (F/K/A Ace Cash Express)
2,086 complaints against Populus Financial Group, Inc. (F/K/A Ace Cash Express) appear in the CFPB record, including 101 from the trailing year. The 51 states and territories represented put this footprint in nationwide territory. "Debt collection" tops the product-level breakdown by a clear margin, marking it as the area of greatest consumer friction. Inside that category, "Took or threatened to take negative or legal action" comes up most often - worth a look for anyone trying to spot the company's recurring pain point.
98.3% of CFPB-forwarded complaints against Populus Financial Group, Inc. (F/K/A Ace Cash Express) get a reply inside the Bureau's 15-day window. That clears the industry benchmark, pointing to intake and escalation processes that are working as intended. 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. 0.3% of resolved complaints ended with some monetary or non-monetary relief for the consumer.
How to read complaint counts
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?
2,086 complaints have been filed against Populus Financial Group, Inc. (F/K/A Ace Cash Express) with the CFPB overall - 101 of them in the past year.
Does Populus Financial Group, Inc. (F/K/A Ace Cash Express) respond to complaints on time?
98.3% of the CFPB complaints against Populus Financial Group, Inc. (F/K/A Ace Cash Express) get a response within the expected window. That puts it among the more responsive companies in the CFPB dataset.
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)?
"Took or threatened to take negative or legal action" is the single most frequently cited issue in complaints against Populus Financial Group, Inc. (F/K/A Ace Cash Express) - see all issues and counts above.
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)?
The CFPB has recorded complaints against Populus Financial Group, Inc. (F/K/A Ace Cash Express) from 51 separate states and territories, including jurisdictions beyond the 52 with a dedicated state page here - Guam, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and APO/FPO military postal codes among them.
Similar Companies
Matched by complaint volume nationwide and by product category - a different peer set than the sibling-portal links below.
Similar complaint volume (~2,086)
Source: CFPB Consumer Complaint Database CFPB Consumer Complaint Database Data through March 2026
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.