CFPB Consumer Complaint Profile

Sterling Bancorp

What 210 consumer complaints filed with the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau reveal about how this company handles credit, billing and collection disputes.

210
Total complaints
0
Last 12 months
97.1%
Timely response
20
States affected

The verdict

Sterling Bancorp ranks #896 of 3,848 financial companies by CFPB complaint volume, with 210 complaints on record. It answers 97.1% of complaints on time — above the 93% median for companies with 100+ complaints.

#896
of 3,848 companies by volume
97.1%
answered on time
Mortgage
most-complained product
20
states with complaints
Sterling Bancorp timely response rate 97.1%
Industry benchmark

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

Complaints by Product

Mortgage — Conventional home mortgage 67
Checking or savings account — Checking account 64
Checking or savings account — Other banking product or service 15
Checking or savings account — Savings account 14
Mortgage — Other type of mortgage 12
Checking or savings account — CD (Certificate of Deposit) 10
Mortgage — Home equity loan or line of credit (HELOC) 9
Credit reporting, credit repair services, or other personal consumer reports — Credit reporting 3
Mortgage — FHA mortgage 2
Credit reporting or other personal consumer reports — Credit reporting 2

Top Issues

1.Managing an account 79
2.Trouble during payment process 49
3.Struggling to pay mortgage 22
4.Closing an account 11
5.Closing on a mortgage 11
6.Applying for a mortgage or refinancing an existing mortgage 7
7.Problem with a lender or other company charging your account 7
8.Opening an account 4
9.Incorrect information on your report 4
10.Problem caused by your funds being low 2

Complaints by Year

Year Complaints
2017 14
2018 44
2019 40
2020 56
2021 51
2022 2
2023 1
2024 2

Complaints by State (Top 15)

New York 135
California 9
New Jersey 8
Florida 6
Virginia 6
Illinois 6
Georgia 3
Massachusetts 3
Texas 3
Connecticut 3
Maryland 2
Washington 2
Nevada 1
Missouri 1
Ohio 1

Company Responses

Closed with explanation 195
Closed with monetary relief 11
Untimely response 3
Closed with non-monetary relief 1

What the CFPB Complaint Record Shows for Sterling Bancorp

The CFPB Consumer Complaint Database has logged 210 complaints against Sterling Bancorp overall, with 0 of those filed in the trailing 12 months. Reports have come from consumers in 20 states and territories, making this a multi-regional complaint footprint. The single largest complaint category is "Mortgage," 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.

Sterling Bancorp's timely response rate stands at 97.1%, 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. Of complaints that were resolved, 5.7% 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 Sterling Bancorp have?

Sterling Bancorp has 210 total consumer complaints filed with the CFPB, with 0 filed in the last 12 months.

Does Sterling Bancorp respond to complaints on time?

Sterling Bancorp has a 97.1% timely response rate to CFPB complaints. This is considered excellent.

What product generates the most complaints for Sterling Bancorp?

The most complained-about product for Sterling Bancorp is "Mortgage." You can view the full product breakdown on this page.

What is the most common complaint issue with Sterling Bancorp?

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

How do I file a complaint against Sterling Bancorp?

You can file a complaint against Sterling Bancorp 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 Sterling Bancorp?

Consumers in 20 states and territories have filed complaints about Sterling Bancorp with the CFPB.

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

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