On September 10, 2015 the NCUA released a complaint site on its Consumer Assistance Center portal located at MyCreditUnion.gov. Consumers are able to submit inquiries, complaints and additional documentation online through a secure portal. Consumers will also be able to check the status of their complaints.

NCUA also implemented new complaint resolution procedures that improve and streamline how the agency handles consumer complaints. Under the new complaint handling procedures, a complaint filed with the Consumer Assistance Center involving a federal consumer financial protection matter will be sent to the credit union, which will have 60 days to resolve the problem and inform the agency of the outcome. If the complaint remains unresolved, the Consumer Assistance Center may begin its own investigation to determine compliance with federal consumer financial protection laws and regulations.

NCUA informed federally insured credit unions about these improvements in a Letter to Credit Unions in June.

As the rollout of the new online Consumer Assistance Center portal continues in the coming weeks, credit unions also will be able to use the portal to submit complaint response information securely and check the status and number of complaints concerning their institutions. Credit unions’ use of the portal will be voluntary.

The agency plans to release a video for credit unions explaining how to use the online Consumer Assistance Center portal and the new complaint resolution process. NCUA will also host a webinar for credit unions about the portal and other federal consumer financial protection matters in October.