The CFPB is widely seen as a key ally of American consumers, but critics say it costs too much and stifles innovation.

The CFPB has sued Experian, claiming the company failed to properly investigate consumer credit report disputes.

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau finished last week with notable actions against a captive finance company and a credit bureau with total penalties against the companies approaching $30 million.

For the “failure to conduct proper investigations of consumer disputes,” the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) last Friday announced enforcement actions taken against Equifax, requiring the nationwide consumer reporting agency to pay a $15 million civil money penalty and bring its business practices into compliance with federal law.

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau fined Equifax $15 million for credit reporting errors. The CFPB alleged the credit bureau failed to properly investigate consumer disputes.

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, or CFPB, is a government agency that oversees the consumer finance industry, including banks, lenders and other financial institutions.

Without admitting or denying the findings, Equifax has agreed to pay a $15 million civil monetary penalty that will be deposited into the CFPB's victims relief fund. A representative for Equifax didn't immediately respond to a request for comment.

The CFPB's ruling will remove an estimated $49 billion in medical bills from the credit reports of about 15 million Americans.

The U.S. Consumer Financial Protection Bureau announced on Friday it had fined credit reporting bureau Equifax $15 million for failing to sufficiently investigate consumer disputes of its credit reports.

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau fined Equifax $15 ... penalty follows a lawsuit CFPB filed against another credit bureau, Experian, on Jan. 7, alleging the company conducted "sham ...

Your loan servicer might also call you, and the phone number may look legitimate. But if a caller asks you to take action for debt relief, to pay them money, or to share your personal or financial data, odds are it's a scam. To be safe, you can hang up and call your servicer back on its official phone line.

Lenders soon won't be able to consider unpaid medical bills as a credit history factor when they evaluate potential borrowers in the U.S. for loans.