The CFPB Effectively Designed a Process to Allocate Surplus Civil Penalty Funds and Monitored Contractor Payments to Victims

The CFPB maintains the Civil Penalty Fund to compensate people harmed by companies that break consumer financial protection laws. As of September 2023, the CPF had collected $3.4 billion and held a balance of $1.9 billion.

The CFPB's process for allocating CPF funds prioritizes victim compensation over consumer education and financial literacy programs. Prioritizing victim compensation, including maintaining a reserve to compensate future victims, and using operating funds for consumer education programs allows the agency to pay all eligible victims and continue to fund consumer education initiatives. In addition, the CFPB provided effective oversight of contractors, ensuring that eligible victims received accurate payments.