CFPB ends multiple lender consent orders, opens few new cases

Under the Trump administration, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) has been winding down enforcement actions against lenders and servicers while opening only two new cases.

On Sept. 18, the Bureau terminated consent orders against Washington Federal Bank, Planet Home Lending, Apple Inc. and U.S. Bank National Association. The cases spanned mortgage rules, credit cards and bank accounts. Meanwhile, in 2025 the agency has initiated just two new cases: Synapse Financial Technologies in August and Wise US Inc. on Jan. 30, shortly after Inauguration Day.

The shift comes alongside broader efforts to scale back the CFPB’s footprint: shrinking its workforce by 1,400 employees (out of 1,700 under the Biden administration), reducing supervisory exams by roughly 50%, and redirecting its focus. Supervisory activity toward nonbank financial providers dropped to 30%, compared with 60% in the prior administration.

Planet, for example, was accused in 2017 of accepting improper referral fees and misusing consumer credit information in violation of RESPA and the Fair Credit Reporting Act. It paid a $265,000 civil penalty and adjusted business practices. 

A spokesperson for Planet wrote to HousingWire that the company fulfilled its obligations under the 2017 consent order. “Throughout the process, we consistently maintained that our practices fully complied with applicable law. The consent order has now been formally terminated, many years after we completed all required actions,” the spokesperson added.

Washington Federal Bank was cited in 2020 for alledgely misreporting mortgage-loan data under the Home Mortgage Disclosure Act (HMDA) for 2016–2017. The bank paid a $200,000 penalty and adopted a compliance plan that was originally set to run through October 2030, but those conditions have now been lifted.

That same day, the CFPB also ended a consent order against Apple, which had been fined $25 million for claims of failing to forward certain transaction disputes to Goldman Sachs under the Apple Card program. Separately, U.S. Bank was released from an order tied to allegations that it opened deposit accounts, credit cards and lines of credit without customers’ knowledge or consent — a case that carried a $37.5 million penalty.

The September actions follow other recent terminations, including a July decision to lift oversight of Florida-based Fay Servicing. The case involved claims of illegal foreclosure practices and required $3 million in consumer restitution and a $2 million penalty.