What can I do if I think a mortgage lender discriminated against me?

Short answer

If you believe a lender or creditor treated you differently because of a protected characteristic, you can check state protections and submit a complaint to the CFPB. The and the Fair Housing Act list specific prohibited bases. A complaint reports a concern; it is not a finding that discrimination occurred.

Full explanation

The CFPB says discrimination by a creditor can be hidden or unintentional. Warning signs it lists include being refused credit when you qualify, being discouraged from applying, being offered less favorable terms, or having an account closed.

Under the Equal Credit Opportunity Act, a creditor — including a lender or mortgage broker — may not treat an applicant differently because of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, marital status, age if you are old enough to enter a contract, income from a public-assistance program, or because the applicant asserted a Consumer Credit Protection Act right in good faith. A lender may consider immigration and residency information that affects the legal ability to repay, and certain country-based legal limits, but may not use immigration status as a stand-in for national origin, race, or another protected characteristic. The Fair Housing Act separately bars discrimination in mortgage and home-improvement credit on race, color, religion, national origin, sex, disability, and familial status. Military service is not an ECOA protected class, though some state laws address military or veteran status.

You can check local state protections and submit a CFPB complaint. Filing a complaint is a way to report the issue, not proof of wrongdoing. Servicemembers who believe they were treated differently because of military service can also contact a JAG office or a state attorney general.

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