DEPARTMENT OF FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS

Financial Institutions Complaint 

The Department of Financial Institutions (DFI) regulates the following entities and individuals:

• State-chartered banks
• State-chartered credit unions
• Securities offerings
• Securities individuals and entities
• Money transmitters
• Check cashers/deferred deposit companies
• Mortgage lenders and loan officers
• Other consumer lenders

Utilize DFI's electronic complaint form to file a complaint against an entity, individual or offering regulated by DFI. If you are unable to submit your complaint electronically, you may use the Financial Institutions Complaint Form. For assistance with filing a complaint or to request a printed complaint form be mailed to you, please contact DFI. 

Depending on the circumstances of your complaint, DFI may investigate. If an investigation indicates Kentucky law has been violated, DFI may pursue administrative remedies against the violating party and/or refer the matter to criminal authorities. 

Please note, under Kentucky’s open records laws, any information you provide may be subject to public disclosure once a formal investigation is complete, or immediately, if DFI does not conduct a formal investigation.

Financial Exploitation Referral

If you are a financial institution as defined in KRS 365.245, or a broker dealer or investment adviser as defined in KRS 292.310, and wish to file a financial exploitation referral with the Division of Securities, complete the electronic Financial Exploitation Referral Form. 

Complaints about Individuals or Entities DFI Does Not Regulate 

In most cases, DFI does not regulate banks or credit unions with a name that includes the word “federal” or “national.” In addition, DFI does not regulate credit card companies or auto loans. You can find the names of entities we regulate on our Depository page. 

• Commercial banks with a name that includes the word “national,” or that use the title “N.A.” (national association), are organized under and subject to federal law. Savings banks and savings and loan associations with the word “federal” in their name or that use the initials FSB (federal savings bank), FSA (federal savings association), FA (federal association) or FSLA (federal savings and loan association) also are regulated by the federal government. You should direct requests for information from or complaints about these national banks and federal savings associations to the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC):                             

  Comptroller of the Currency 
  Website: HelpWithMyBank.gov 
  Phone: 800-613-6743     

• Similarly, federally regulated credit unions have the word “federal” in their name. You should direct questions and complaints about federal credit unions to the National Credit Union Administration:
  
    National Credit Union Administration
    Website: MyCreditUnion.gov 
    Phone: 800-755-1030
  

• If the complaint relates to a mortgage loan that is secured by a property outside of Kentucky, you should contact that state's financial institution authority. You can find state regulators using the Nationwide Multistate Licensing System and Registry (NMLS) State Resource Center.