Citing federal cutbacks in consumer protection and an increase in consumer complaints, the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR) has launched a new online submission option intended to modernize and simplify the manner in which Illinois consumers file complaints.
The new portal will accept complaints that will be directed to the Division of Banking (DOB) as well as complaints that will be directed to the Division of Financial Institutions (DFI). State officials said it creates a unified and more accessible complaint process for Illinois residents.
“Consumer voices help us identify issues early so we can protect Illinois residents,” said IDFPR Secretary Mario Treto, Jr. added that “[m] odernizing our complaint process with a clear, online submission portal strengthens our ability to serve the public. These improvements are especially important as complaints continue to rise nationally and federal resolutions decline.”
State officials said the launch comes as there is a significant increase in consumer financial complaints across the country. They said that the CFPB reported that total complaints to the agency more than doubled from 2.7 million in 2024 to 5.6 million in 2025.
They said that Illinois complaints to the bureau followed a similar trend. Illinois consumers submitted 224,000 complaints to the CFPB in 2025. That represents an increase of more than 120,000 from 2024.
“According to state officials, “Many of these complaints involve industries regulated by DOB and DFI, including debt collection, money transmitters, and mortgage originators.”
IDFPR’s Divisions of Financial Institutions and Banking regulate credit unions, debt collectors, consumer installment lenders, and money transmitters and enforce the 36% APR cap under the 2021 Predatory Loan Prevention Act.
DOB regulates state-chartered banks, student loan servicers, mortgage lenders and pawnbrokers.
DFI regulates state-chartered credit unions, non-depositories, including payday and title lenders, debt collectors, and providers of specialized financial services, including currency exchanges and debt management companies.
“By improving the complaint submission process, IDFPR aims to enhance its ability to identify industry issues, support voluntary mediation, and protect consumers in an increasingly complex financial environment,” state officials said.
Francisco Menchaca, Director of IDFPR’s Division of Financial Institutions, emphasized, “We want to help. If you have an issue with an entity, even if you’re not sure if they’re regulated by IDFPR, let us know.”