US banking regulators — who regulates what
Reference guide to FDIC, NCUA, OCC, CFPB, Federal Reserve, and state regulators — what each does and when to contact each.
The US banking system has multiple regulators with overlapping responsibilities. For a consumer, the practical questions are: who supervises my bank, who insures my deposits, and where do I complain when something goes wrong. The short answers depend on whether your institution is a national bank, a state-chartered bank, a federal savings association, or a credit union — and whether your complaint is about a consumer-financial issue, a prudential matter, or a deposit-insurance question.
Quick answer: primary federal regulator by institution type
| Institution type | Primary federal regulator |
|---|---|
| National bank ("N.A." or "National Association" in the legal name) | OCC |
| Federal savings association | OCC |
| State-chartered bank that is a Federal Reserve member | Federal Reserve (plus the state regulator) |
| State-chartered bank that is not a Fed member | FDIC (plus the state regulator) |
| Federal credit union | NCUA |
| State-chartered credit union | State regulator (plus NCUA if federally insured) |
| Bank holding company | Federal Reserve |
Separately, the CFPB supervises banks and credit unions with more than $10 billion in assets for compliance with federal consumer financial law. To look up a specific institution, follow the steps in how to find out who regulates your bank.
Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC)
Jurisdiction. Insures deposits at participating US banks and savings associations. Supervises state-chartered banks that are not members of the Federal Reserve System (state non-member banks).
What it enforces. Prudential safety-and-soundness regulation of supervised institutions; deposit-insurance rules; consumer-financial rules applicable to supervised banks; the orderly resolution of failed institutions.
When to contact. Questions about whether a bank is FDIC-insured (the BankFind Suite at FDIC.gov), questions about coverage limits on your specific accounts (the EDIE estimator), complaints about state-chartered non-member banks.
National Credit Union Administration (NCUA)
Jurisdiction. Charters and supervises federal credit unions. Administers the National Credit Union Share Insurance Fund (NCUSIF) for federally-insured credit unions (both federal-charter and participating state-charter).
What it enforces. Prudential supervision of federal credit unions; consumer-financial rules applicable to credit unions; insurance-coverage rules.
When to contact. Verifying a credit union's federal insurance status (the Credit Union Locator at MyCreditUnion.gov), questions about NCUSIF coverage, complaints about federal credit unions.
Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC)
Jurisdiction. Charters and supervises national banks (those with "National Association" or "N.A." in their name) and federal savings associations. National banks include many of the largest consumer banks in the US.
What it enforces. Prudential safety-and-soundness regulation of national banks; consumer-financial rules at supervised institutions; community-reinvestment compliance; anti-money-laundering compliance.
When to contact. Complaints about national banks (HelpWithMyBank.gov is the OCC's consumer-facing portal), questions about a national bank's regulatory status.
Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB)
Jurisdiction. Federal consumer-financial laws across most consumer financial products and services. Supervises banks and credit unions with more than $10 billion in assets for consumer-financial compliance, and supervises many non-bank consumer-financial companies regardless of size.
What it enforces. Truth in Lending Act, Fair Credit Reporting Act, Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act, Truth in Savings Act, Electronic Fund Transfer Act, and many others. Maintains a consumer complaint database that publicly tracks complaints and responses.
When to contact. The CFPB Consumer Complaint Database at ConsumerFinance.gov is the right escalation when bank-level resolution stalls on consumer-financial issues — including ChexSystems disputes, account-closure disputes, error-resolution failures, and unfair/deceptive practice allegations.
Federal Reserve System (the Fed)
Jurisdiction. Supervises state-chartered banks that are members of the Federal Reserve System ("state member banks"), bank holding companies, and savings-and-loan holding companies. Operates the payment systems (ACH-related infrastructure, Fedwire, FedNow). Sets monetary policy.
What it enforces. Prudential supervision of state member banks and holding companies; consumer-financial rules at supervised institutions; the payment-system rules that govern ACH and wire transfers.
When to contact. Complaints about state member banks; general questions about Federal Reserve System policies. The Fed's consumer-help resources are at FederalReserveConsumerHelp.gov.
State banking regulators
Jurisdiction. Each state has its own banking regulator (often called the State Banking Department or Division of Financial Institutions) that charters and supervises state-chartered banks and trust companies in that state, sometimes including state-chartered credit unions. State regulators share supervisory responsibility with the federal regulator (FDIC for non-member state banks, Fed for state member banks).
What they enforce. State banking law, including state-specific consumer-protection rules that go beyond federal minimums in some jurisdictions; chartering and licensing of state institutions.
When to contact. Complaints about state-chartered banks or credit unions; verification of state charters; state-specific consumer-protection issues.
Other regulators worth knowing
- Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). Securities markets, brokerage firms, investment advisers, mutual funds, and ETFs. Brokerage-side issues route here.
- Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA). Self-regulatory organization for US broker-dealers; member-firm complaints and BrokerCheck.
- Securities Investor Protection Corporation (SIPC). The brokerage-side analog to FDIC — covers securities and cash at failed member brokerages up to $500,000 (including $250,000 of cash).
- Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN). Bank Secrecy Act and anti-money-laundering rules, including the CDD beneficial-owner rule for business-account opening.
- Internal Revenue Service (IRS). Tax reporting and enforcement; the recipient of bank-issued 1099-INT and 1099-MISC forms.
Where to complain — practical guide
Match the complaint to the right venue:
- Bank denial, fee dispute, account-closure dispute (any bank). Start with the bank's customer service or executive-resolution channel. Escalate to the CFPB at ConsumerFinance.gov if unresolved.
- National bank specifically. Use the OCC's HelpWithMyBank.gov in parallel.
- Credit union. Use NCUA's consumer assistance resources (MyCreditUnion.gov).
- ChexSystems error or EWS error. Dispute with the agency first; escalate to the CFPB if not resolved within 30 days.
- Brokerage issue. SEC's investor.gov, FINRA's complaint center, or BrokerCheck for the specific broker.
- Tax-form discrepancy. Ask the bank for a corrected form first. If unresolved, IRS resources cover reporting income without a 1099 and disputing incorrect 1099s.
The CFPB's complaint database is publicly searchable, which creates a real incentive for banks to resolve issues that escalate there. For many consumer-financial disputes, filing with the CFPB is the most effective single step after bank-level resolution has stalled.
Frequently asked questions
Who regulates my bank?
It depends on the bank's charter. National banks and federal savings associations are supervised by the OCC; state-chartered banks by their state regulator together with either the Federal Reserve (member banks) or the FDIC (non-member banks); credit unions by the NCUA and/or a state regulator. FDIC BankFind lists the primary federal regulator for each insured bank.
What are the main US banking regulators?
The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC), the Federal Reserve, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC), the National Credit Union Administration (NCUA), the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), and each state's banking regulator.
Who regulates credit unions?
Federal credit unions are chartered and supervised by the NCUA. State-chartered credit unions are supervised by their state regulator, and most are also federally insured by the NCUA's share insurance fund.
Are commercial banks insured by the NCUA?
No. The NCUA insures credit unions. Commercial banks and savings associations are insured by the FDIC.
Which agency is the primary federal regulator of state-chartered member banks?
The Federal Reserve. State-chartered banks that are not members of the Federal Reserve System are supervised federally by the FDIC.