If You Need Help

If You Need Help


If you are not granted credit by the lender and you believe
the lender may have acted unlawfully, you can seek further
assistance from the regulatory agency that supervises the
institution. A list of some of the agencies is contained in
this brochure for your reference. If it becomes necessary to
seek legal assistance, the Act provides some remedies. If you
have been denied credit because of unlawful discrimination and
are able to prove it, courts may award actual damages and in
some circumstances may impose punitive damages against the
lender. If a lawsuit alleging discrimination is successful, the
court also may award court costs and attorney fees.


Federal Enforcement Agencies


All creditors are subject to the Equal Credit Opportunity
Act (ECOA) and Regulation B (issued by the Federal Reserve
Board), which contains specific rules governing credit
transactions. The following is a list of the federal agencies
that enforce the ECOA and Regulation B for particular classes of
financial institutions. Any questions concerning a particular
financial institution should be directed to its enforcement
agency.

State Member Banks of the Federal Reserve System
Division of Consumer and Community Affairs
Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System
20th & Constitution Avenue, NW
Washington, D.C. 20551
(202) 452-3946

Non-Member Federally Insured Banks
Office of Consumer Affairs
Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation
550 Seventeenth Street, NW
Washington, D.C. 20429
(800) 424-5488
(202) 898-3536

National Banks
Compliance Management
Office of the Comptroller of the Currency
250 E Street, SW
Washington, D.C. 20219
(202) 874-4428

Federal Savings Association
Consumer Programs Division
Office of Thrift Supervision
1700 G Street, NW, Fifth Floor
Washington, D.C. 20552
(202) 906-6237

Small Business Investment Companies
U.S. Small Business Administration
409 Third Street, SW
Washington, D.C. 20416
(202) 205-6751

Federal Credit Unions
Office of Consumer Programs
National Credit Union Administration
1776 G Street, NW
Washington, D.C. 20456
(202) 682-9640

Finance Companies and Other Creditors Not Listed Above
Division of Credit Practices
Bureau of Consumer Protection
Federal Trade Commission
Washington, D.C. 20580
(202) 326-3224