Banks, Credit Unions and Savings & Loans

Today’s consumers have many banking choices. A commercial bank may offer you or your business a savings and checking account, a mortgage, business and student loans and even investment advice. A savings and loan institution specializes in mortgage and home loans and may provide the same kinds of checking and savings accounts as a bank. A credit union is a not-for-profit financial institution with membership based on a common characteristic, such as place of employment. Depending on their size, credit unions generally offer the same products as banks and savings and loans.

The Governor’s Office of Consumer Affairs (OCA) does not regulate the banking industry. OCA can accept complaints regarding institutions that violate the Georgia Fair Business Practices Act by engaging in deceptive or unfair practices. All other complaints should be directed to the appropriate state or federal agency listed below.

The Georgia Department of Banking and Finance is the state agency that regulates and examines state-chartered banks, state-chartered credit unions, and state-chartered trust companies. The Department also has regulatory and/or licensing authority over mortgage brokers, lenders and processors, check cashers, sale of check companies, money transmitters, international banking organizations, and bank holding companies conducting business in Georgia. Please refer to the Department of Banking and Finance's website for more information about complaints and inquiries against financial institutions chartered by the State of Georgia and other entities licensed or regulated by the Department of Banking and Finance.
If the complaint concerns a national bank (its name will contain the word “National” or will be followed by the initials “NA”), you should contact the Comptroller of the Currency.

A complaint regarding a federal savings and loan association or savings bank (its name contains the word “Federal” or is followed by the initials “FSB”) should be directed to the Office of Thrift Supervision.

If the institution is a called a Federal Credit Union, you should contact the National Credit Union Administration. The National Credit Union Administration (NCUA) is the federal agency that administers the National Credit Union Share Insurance Fund (NCUSIF). The NCUSIF, like the FDIC’s Deposit Insurance Fund, is a federal insurance fund backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. Government. All of Georgia's credit unions are insured by the NCUSIF. For questions or complaints involving state or federally chartered credit unions with regard to deposit insurance, contact:

National Credit Union Administration
1775 Duke Street
Alexandria, VA 22314-3428
703-518-6300

If it is a finance company, car dealership or lender other than a bank or credit union and there is a federal law involved (such as Regulation Z - Truth in Lending), you should contact the Federal Trade Commission.

The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) insures deposits of up to $250,000 in member banks. For questions or complaints involving state- or federally-chartered financial institutions with regard to deposit insurance, discriminatory lending practices, initiatives to prevent unfair or deceptive practices in deposit-taking or lending, or rules that encourage institutions to meet local credit needs, please contact:

Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation
Consumer Response Center
2345 Grand Boulevard, Suite 100
Kansas City, Missouri 64108
1-877-275-3342

The Federal Reserve Bank is also responsible for administering many of the federal banking laws. Regional Federal Reserve banks handle complaints based on the geographic location of the bank’s headquarters. You can contact the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta for more information or to file a complaint regarding a bank headquartered in the Southeastern United States. The Federal Reserve web page is also a good source for information on how banks operate.

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