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12 USC § 5511 - Purpose, objectives, and functions 

---
identifier: "/us/usc/t12/s5511"
source: "usc"
legal_status: "official_prima_facie"
title: "12 USC § 5511 - Purpose, objectives, and functions"
title_number: 12
title_name: "BANKS AND BANKING"
section_number: "5511"
section_name: "Purpose, objectives, and functions"
chapter_number: 53
chapter_name: "WALL STREET REFORM AND CONSUMER PROTECTION"
subchapter_number: "V"
subchapter_name: "BUREAU OF CONSUMER FINANCIAL PROTECTION"
part_number: "B"
part_name: "General Powers of the Bureau"
positive_law: false
currency: "119-84"
last_updated: "2026-04-17"
format_version: "1.1.0"
generator: "[email protected]"
source_credit: "(Pub. L. 111–203, title X, § 1021, July 21, 2010, 124 Stat. 1979.)"
---

# § 5511. Purpose, objectives, and functions

**(a)** **Purpose** The Bureau shall seek to implement and, where applicable, enforce Federal consumer financial law consistently for the purpose of ensuring that all consumers have access to markets for consumer financial products and services and that markets for consumer financial products and services are fair, transparent, and competitive.

**(b)** **Objectives** The Bureau is authorized to exercise its authorities under Federal consumer financial law for the purposes of ensuring that, with respect to consumer financial products and services—

**(1)** consumers are provided with timely and understandable information to make responsible decisions about financial transactions;

**(2)** consumers are protected from unfair, deceptive, or abusive acts and practices and from discrimination;

**(3)** outdated, unnecessary, or unduly burdensome regulations are regularly identified and addressed in order to reduce unwarranted regulatory burdens;

**(4)** Federal consumer financial law is enforced consistently, without regard to the status of a person as a depository institution, in order to promote fair competition; and

**(5)** markets for consumer financial products and services operate transparently and efficiently to facilitate access and innovation.

**(c)** **Functions** The primary functions of the Bureau are—

**(1)** conducting financial education programs;

**(2)** collecting, investigating, and responding to consumer complaints;

**(3)** collecting, researching, monitoring, and publishing information relevant to the functioning of markets for consumer financial products and services to identify risks to consumers and the proper functioning of such markets;

**(4)** subject to sections 5514 through 5516 of this title, supervising covered persons for compliance with Federal consumer financial law, and taking appropriate enforcement action to address violations of Federal consumer financial law;

**(5)** issuing rules, orders, and guidance implementing Federal consumer financial law; and

**(6)** performing such support activities as may be necessary or useful to facilitate the other functions of the Bureau.

---

**Source Credit**: (Pub. L. 111–203, title X, § 1021, July 21, 2010, 124 Stat. 1979.)

## Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

### Effective Date

> “This subtitle [subtitle B (§§ 1021–1029A), enacting this part] shall become effective on the designated transfer date, except that sections 1022, 1024, and 1025(e) [
> 
> , 5514, and 5515(e)] shall become effective on the date of enactment of this Act [
> 
> ].”

, , , provided that:

[The term “designated transfer date” is defined in  as the date established under .]