The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) closed 66 of its 80 open examinations and 86% of outstanding supervisory actions as part of a sweeping overhaul of federal oversight, according to its latest report to Congress.
The figures, disclosed in the bureau's semiannual report released October 27, put numbers behind the Trump administration's efforts to scale back the agency's enforcement and examination activities.
The CFPB also closed approximately 40% of pending investigations and initiated just one new public enforcement action during the 12 months ended June 30, 2026. It resolved nine enforcement actions and terminated 16 pending final orders during that period.
The bureau closed the 66 examinations because their scope or preliminary findings no longer aligned with its priorities. The remaining 14 examinations continued, with institutions expected to correct identified violations, address compliance weaknesses, and provide relief to affected consumers. Of 1,552 open supervisory actions, 1,327 were closed because institutions had sufficiently addressed the underlying issues or the findings no longer aligned with the agency's priorities.
The numbers mark a substantial reduction in the bureau's oversight activities, particularly for financial institutions accustomed to broader federal examinations.
Mortgages Remain An Enforcement Priority
Despite the pullback, mortgage origination and servicing remain among the CFPB's stated supervisory priorities. Mortgages are also expressly listed among its enforcement priorities, alongside protections for servicemembers and veterans, credit reporting violations, and fraudulent fees.
The bureau says its enforcement approach now emphasizes identifiable consumer harm, voluntary remediation, and violations grounded in clear statutory authority. It also intends to avoid duplicating enforcement work by state regulators and other federal agencies.
Its revised supervisory program places greater emphasis on depository institutions, with examinations focused on specific products and statutory requirements.
The bureau also reduced its scheduled examinations by approximately 50%, shifting its supervisory focus toward banks rather than nonbank financial institutions. Examination teams have been scaled down, with reviews more narrowly tailored to specific products and compliance issues.
That shift has implications for independent mortgage banks and nonbank servicers, which have historically faced CFPB supervision alongside state regulatory oversight.
As NMP previously reported in July, the bureau's restructuring also includes potential changes to Ability-to-Repay and Qualified Mortgage requirements, loan originator compensation rules, and mortgage servicing regulations.
Fair Lending Takes A Narrower Approach
The report also details the bureau's shift toward enforcement based on intentional discrimination rather than disparate-impact theories, which examine whether otherwise neutral lending policies produce discriminatory outcomes.
The CFPB cited no fair lending violations during the first half of 2026. Its fair lending examinations were still being prepared, with supervisory work scheduled to begin after June 30.
The change follows the agency's April amendment to Regulation B, which removed disparate-impact liability from the bureau's interpretation of the Equal Credit Opportunity Act and revised requirements governing Special Purpose Credit Programs.
The revised federal approach places greater emphasis on evidence of intentional discrimination in underwriting, pricing, and other credit decisions.
State fair lending laws and enforcement authority remain relevant. State regulators and private litigants can continue to pursue claims under applicable laws, even as the CFPB narrows its own enforcement approach.
A Different Examination Environment
The CFPB has also adopted what it calls a "Humility in Supervision Pledge," directing examiners to conduct more targeted reviews, avoid novel legal theories, and emphasize correction and remediation.
The bureau says institutions that identify and voluntarily address consumer harm should generally face a more cooperative supervisory process.
For independent mortgage banks and servicers, the shift toward bank-focused examinations means a smaller federal supervisory footprint, even as mortgage origination and servicing remain enforcement priorities. State oversight and existing consumer protection requirements remain in place.
