CFPB Overhauls Consumer Complaint System

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) announced several changes to its consumer complaint system, citing issues that limited its effectiveness. Effective August 14, 2026, the CFPB will cease the discretionary public publication of complaint narratives and visualizations. This follows a June 24, 2026, announcement stating the bureau's intention to correct "flaws to restore integrity and utility" to the system, which it described as having been "plagued by issues" [CFPB Newsroom].

Separately, the CFPB also reported on June 2, 2026, that it has been working to ensure Bilt consumers affected by a bank transition were "made whole," indicating active oversight in addressing consumer issues related to financial service disruptions [CFPB Newsroom].

FTC Alerts Consumers to Emerging Scams

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has issued multiple consumer alerts regarding new and evolving scam tactics. Recent warnings include:

• Farm Equipment Scams: Impersonators are selling fraudulent farm equipment to farmers [FTC Consumer Alerts].
• QR Code Scams: Consumers are advised to exercise caution before scanning QR codes for payments, particularly for services like parking, as scammers are exploiting this method [FTC Consumer Alerts].
• Car Dealership Spoofing: Scammers are creating fake car dealership websites [FTC Consumer Alerts].
• Brushing Scams: Unexpected packages may indicate a brushing scam, where a scammer uses a consumer's information to post fake reviews [FTC Consumer Alerts].
• Bill Pay Impersonators: Dishonest companies are using paid search ads to impersonate legitimate bill payment sites [FTC Consumer Alerts].

Consumers are encouraged to report scams to the FTC to aid in enforcement and public awareness efforts [FTC Consumer Alerts].

Federal Reserve Releases Economic Projections and FOMC Statement

The Federal Reserve Board and the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) released their economic projections following the September 15-16 FOMC meeting. Concurrently, the Federal Reserve issued its official FOMC statement on September 16, 2026 [Federal Reserve Press Releases]. While the specific details of these releases are not provided, these announcements are central to understanding the broader economic outlook and monetary policy decisions that influence consumer lending rates and overall financial stability.