Frequently Asked Questions
Download the state complaint statistics (CSV) , open extract wired into this page's Dataset JSON-LD.
Where does PlainCredit's complaint data come from?
All complaint data comes from the CFPB Consumer Complaint Database, a public dataset maintained by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau containing 14,088,398 consumer complaints against financial companies since 2011 in this extract.
What types of financial companies are covered on PlainCredit?
PlainCredit covers financial companies across all product categories in the CFPB database: credit reporting agencies, debt collectors, mortgage lenders and servicers, credit card issuers, student loan servicers, banks, and other consumer financial companies. Any company with 10 or more CFPB complaints has a profile.
What does the 'dispute rate' mean on a company profile?
The dispute rate shows the percentage of company responses that consumers flagged as inadequate or disputed. A high dispute rate means consumers frequently disagreed with how the company resolved their complaint. It is one of several quality signals alongside response timeliness and complaint volume.
Does a high complaint count mean the company did something illegal?
Not necessarily. Complaints are consumer-submitted reports, not adjudicated outcomes. Large companies with millions of customers will naturally receive more complaints than smaller ones. However, patterns of unresolved complaints and high dispute rates are meaningful warning signals worth considering.
Where does the credit card interest rate data come from?
Credit card rate data comes from the Federal Reserve G.19 Statistical Release, which tracks average commercial bank credit card interest rates over time. This is the same data the Fed uses to monitor consumer credit conditions.
How do I file a complaint against a financial company?
PlainCredit is a research tool only. To file a complaint, visit the CFPB directly at consumerfinance.gov/complaint or call 1-855-411-2372. The CFPB sends your complaint to the company and works to get you a response.
How often is PlainCredit updated?
PlainCredit refreshes its sources independently. The installed CFPB complaint extract was built in March 2026; the Federal Reserve G.19 series currently runs through 2026-05-01 (20.94%); and the bank-data series currently runs through Q4 2025. Each page should be read with its source vintage in mind.