Hi, We're the CFPB, but Please Don't Call Us

Have a question for the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau? Perhaps, you're a consumer who thinks some megabank quoted you a dodgy mortgage rate or is trying to steer you to an appraisal firm owned by the loan officer's brother – or maybe you're a member of the press that has a question for the young agency? If you're looking for a telephone number to call you won't find it on the CFPB's website. Okay, maybe that's unfair. The new agency doesn't officially open its doors until late next month but you would figure that at least its website might list some telephone numbers for consumers and members of the press to call? You know, for future reference. Note: CFPB has 220 full-timers. What the heck are they doing? I checked two recent press releases from CFPB and nothing: no phone numbers. (Yes, I know the Treasury Department is in charge of the thing for now, but there's no Treasury number either.) Okay, maybe using the telephone is so ‘last century' or maybe Treasury needs to hire some press overseer with two decades of knowledge about mortgages, and who doesn't suffer fools easily. I'm just saying…