Debt collection complaints surge as CFPB faces changes

(InvestigateTV) — Debt collection complaints filed with the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) have been running high, and some advocates worry recent changes could make it harder for people to get help.

A new analysis by the Kaplan Group, based on CFPB complaint data, suggests a large share of those complaints is concentrated in a handful of states.

Dean Kaplan, president of the Kaplan Group Incorporated, a commercial collection agency, said he is watching what is happening at the CFPB, especially around how consumers submit complaints.

“The whole idea for this complaint system was try to resolve the problem first with whoever you have the issue with. If that doesn’t work, now you can go to the government and they’ll help you. But what’s happening now is it’s kind of getting harder to actually go to the government and get help with these changes,” Kaplan said.

Consumer advocacy groups have also raised concerns about changes they say could add more steps before some people can file certain complaints with the CFPB.

The Kaplan Group said it analyzed more than 630,000 debt collection complaints filed from 2021 through early 2026, with a peak month in September 2025.

“The number of complaints tripled to 5x over the last couple of years,” Kaplan said.

Kaplan said consumers worried about errors should start with their credit file. Credit reports can be checked for free at least once a year.

He also recommended taking issues up directly with the company reporting it and with the credit bureaus, and keeping records of what is submitted and when.

The Kaplan Group’s Collection Risk Index lists Texas, Florida, California, Georgia, and New York as the highest-risk states for debt collection complaint concentration.

The CFPB sent a statement defending changes to its complaint portal, saying: “By reminding people of the legal process to fix or investigate their credit, we’re able to help more people.”

The agency also said that, by law, people reporting inaccuracies on a credit report first have to report it to a credit reporting agency before the CFPB can open an investigation.