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Provider Complaint Form & Procedures

The SCC's Bureau of Financial Institutions responds to thousands of individual consumer inquiries and complaints each year. The Bureau provides free professional information and complaint services to all residents of Virginia and, in some cases, to out-of-state residents if the complaint involves an entity regulated by our Bureau. The Bureau has jurisdiction over Virginia financial institutions and certain out-of-state entities chartered, licensed, or registered by our office. These entities include:

The Bureau maintains a list of all licensees/registrants, updated weekly. Visit Regulated Institutions - Verify a License to access these reports.

The Bureau of Financial Institutions does not have the authority to resolve complaints involving entities that are not under Virginia jurisdiction. Some institutions are regulated by federal governmental agencies. For example,

• Commercial banks having the word "National" or using ''N.A." (National Association) in their title are organized under and subject to federal law. Inquiries or complaints concerning these national banks should be directed to the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency. Phone: 800-613-6743 or Online: HelpWithMyBank.gov
• Savings banks and savings and loan associations having the word "Federal" in their name or which use the initials FSB (Federal Savings Bank), FSA (Federal Savings Association), FA (Federal Association) or FSLA (Federal Savings and Loan Association) are also regulated by the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, a federal agency. Inquiries or complaints should be directed to the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency. Phone: 800-613-6743 or Online: HelpWithMyBank.gov
• Federally regulated credit unions are similarly identified by the word "Federal" in their name. Inquiries or complaints concerning federal credit unions should be directed to the National Credit Union Administration. Phone: 800-755-1030 (NCUA Consumer Assistance Hotline) or Online: ncua.gov/consumers
• If a complaint relates to a mortgage loan that is secured by property outside Virginia, you should contact that state's banking authority. (You may contact our office to obtain contact information for other state regulators.) Information on many financial institutions and their regulator(s) can also be found on Consumer Access online at nmlsconsumeraccess.org

What we Can do:

• Answer your questions as to whether or not the financial institution is licensed by our office
• Provide you with the number of complaints filed against a particular institution
• Respond to questions on the requirements of the law
• Thoroughly review your written complaint
• Provide you with a written response to your complaint

What we Cannot do:

• Recommend a particular financial institution or loan product
• Provide legal services or act as your attorney

If you Have a Complaint

Please, contact the financial institution first! If you have any questions or complaints concerning your financial institution, you should first attempt to contact the company directly. If a mistake has been made, in many situations the institution will make the correction once it is made aware of the error.

When contacting the institution, a written letter is best. State your concern and keep copies of your correspondence. If you contact the company by e-mail, also keep a copy of the correspondence. If you contact the institution by telephone, document the calls (the dates and times you called, the name and title of the persons you spoke to, and what was said by both parties in the conversation).

If you Require Assistance from the Bureau

Your complaint should be filed electronically online or on the complaint form (to be submitted by mail or fax) available on the Bureau's File a Complaint page at scc.virginia.gov. These options are recommended, but not required.
Please DO NOT INCLUDE any personal financial information.

If your complaint is mailed or faxed without using the complaint form, it must include the following information:

1. Your name, address, and telephone number
2. The exact name of the financial institution, address, telephone number, and name of the person you dealt with
3. A description of the problem
4. A description of any steps taken to resolve the problem
5. A statement of how you think the company should resolve your problem
6. Your signature
7. A copy of any letters, documents, notes, contracts, or receipts pertinent to your complaint (PLEASE DO NOT SEND ORIGINALS.)

What Happens After I File a Complaint with the Bureau?

1. We will review your complaint to see if it is within our jurisdiction.
2. We will advise you by letter or email that your complaint has been received.
3. We will notify the financial institution of your complaint and provide a copy of the complaint to the institution for its response to the issues.
4. We will review the response from the financial institution.
5. We will advise you of the action taken.

How Long Does It Take?

You should allow 30-45 days from the receipt of your complaint until we can provide you with a final response. Each case is different; it may take longer depending on the complexity of the complaint and the research involved.

Should I Call for Status Updates?

It is not necessary to call. We will provide you written correspondence when your complaint is received, when additional information is needed, or when we have a received a response to your complaint.

If, after filing your complaint, you obtain additional information relating to your complaint, you can forward copies of that information to our office. Please use the reference number assigned to your complaint as listed on the Bureau's acknowledgment letter.

Visit Us Online

A listing of all institutions licensed or registered by our office can be found at scc.virginia.gov. Access the Consumers tab, select Banks & Consumer Lenders, then Verify a License.

If you have difficulty determining whether the Bureau regulates a particular institution, please contact our office directly. The Bureau encourages consumers to try and resolve any problem with their financial institution before filing a complaint with our office.

Contact Us

Phone: 804-371-9657 or (toll-free) 800-552-7945
Online: scc.virginia.gov

If you have questions about insurance or are experiencing a problem with an insurance company, we are here to help. 

• Toll-free number: 1-877-310-6560 
• Life and Health Consumer Services: 804-371-9691
  • AskAQuestion@scc.virginia.gov
• Property and Casualty Consumer Services: 804-371-9185
  • AskAQuestionPC@scc.virginia.gov​

Please do not submit complaints by email.

• What we can do:
  • Assist with Virginia issued policies.
  • Contact the insurance company or agent for an explanation regarding your concerns.
  • Review the company’s response to make sure they followed Virginia insurance laws and your policy provisions.
  • Share our findings and review the company’s response.
  • Help you understand your options when we don’t have the regulatory authority to resolve the complaint.
  • If you have a Lawyer, we can get involved with their written permission
  • Locate an insurance policy when you provide the name of the company for a deceased individual.
• What we can’t do:
  • Recommend an agent, company, or specific insurance product.
  • Review medical records to decide if a claim should be paid or not.
  • Act as your lawyer or get involved in a pending lawsuit.
  • Determine who was negligent or at fault.
  • Decide whose side of the story is true with differing accounts
  • Force a company to pay outside the terms of the policy provisions.
  • Determine the monetary value of certain claims, like total losses, bodily injuries, and diminished value.

You can obtain assistance with matters that are not subject to Virginia insurance laws by contacting the following state or federal agencies such as:

• Commonwealth of Virginia employee benefit plan
• Federal employee plans 
• Home Warranty/Home Service Contracts
• Medicaid 
• Medicare
• Military Insurance plans (e.g. Tricare, etc.) 
• Self-insured employer plans and health and welfare benefit plans
• Unemployment Benefits
• Workers' Compensation Claims

Responsibilities of the Division of Public Utility Regulation include:

• reviewing rate applications filed by investor-owned utilities and member-owned cooperatives and preparing testimony for rate cases before the Commission;
• monitoring utility construction projects and reviewing applications for construction of transmission lines 138 kilovolts and above, electric generating units, and intra-state natural gas pipelines;
• monitoring distribution system performance of electric utilities;
• reviewing rates and costs, and enforcing general regulations and service standards;
• certifying competitive local exchange and interexchange carrier telephone service providers;
• managing communications company interconnection agreements;
• investigating consumer complaints regarding electric, natural gas, water and sewer utilities, and communications companies* under the SCC's jurisdiction, and
• providing expert technical assistance and public policy recommendations relative to the Virginia Electric Utility Regulation Act.

The Division of Public Utility Regulation operates within Virginia's laws and regulations. Specifically, Title 56 of the Code of Virginia, addresses Public Service Companies and provides the framework under which the Division functions. In addition to statutory provisions, the Division of Public Utility Regulation works within regulations established through the Virginia Administrative Code.

The Division of Securities and Retail Franchising is the state regulator of the securities and retail franchising industries in Virginia. Regulation enables Virginians and firms to participate in the market with confidence by safeguarding its integrity. The Division also acts as a registration depository for trademarks and service marks in Virginia.

Consumer Assistance Services/Consumer Outreach and Education Guide. This consumer guide should be used for educational purposes only.

Purchased Power Agreement Provider Application Form

Historically, there are many times when Virginians see record low interest rates and consider a refinance of their mortgage loans. However, when home mortgage rates fluctuate, some consumers are finding that their promised rates are not locked in after all.

Whether consumers refinance their mortgages to lower monthly payments, decrease the term of the loan, or take out some of their equity in the form of cash, many learn late in the process that their interest rate or points are going to be higher than they were originally told.

In rising rate environments, the State Corporation Commission's (SCC's) Bureau of Financial Institutions will receive consumer complaints and questions regarding this issue against companies licensed under the Mortgage Lenders and Brokers Act. Some complaints stem from a mortgage lender's or broker's refusal to honor a lock-in promise, which causes the consumer's interest rate or points to be higher at loan closing than what the consumer was told at the time he thought that he had "locked in."

The SCC has defined a lock-in agreement as "a written agreement between a mortgage lender, or a mortgage broker acting on behalf of a mortgage lender, and an applicant for a mortgage loan that establishes and sets an interest rate and the points to be charged in connection with a mortgage loan that is closed within the time period specified in the agreement." This time period is referred to as the lock-in period. Lock-in periods average 30-45 days, but may be shorter or longer.

Sometimes consumers must pay a lock-in fee in order to lock in the rate and points. The SCC's regulation applicable to licensed mortgage lenders and brokers requires that if a lock-in agreement is issued in connection with a Virginia mortgage loan, it must be signed by a representative of the mortgage lender or mortgage broker acting on behalf of the mortgage lender, and include certain information, such as the name of the mortgage lender or broker issuing the agreement, the interest rate and points, the amount of any lock-in fee and the terms under which it would be refunded, the length of the lock-in period, and a statement that if the loan is not closed within the lock-in period, the mortgage lender is no longer obligated by the lock-in agreement. 

Virginians need to be aware of some pitfalls related to lock-ins.

The most common one occurs at the time of application when a mortgage broker or lender verbally promises to lock in the consumer's rate and points. Although Virginia law does not require mortgage lenders or brokers to issue lock-in agreements, the Bureau of Financial Institutions encourage consumers to always obtain a lock-in agreement. The terms of a written lock-in agreement are typically easier to prove and enforce than the terms of an oral agreement.

Some consumers have indicated that they learned from their mortgage lender that the mortgage broker, while having represented to them that their loan terms were locked in, never locked in the promised rate with the mortgage lender. Under the SCC's regulations, a mortgage broker is prohibited from issuing a lock-in agreement to a consumer unless the mortgage broker has actually locked in a mortgage loan, including the applicable interest rate, points, and other terms, with a mortgage lender.

Another common pitfall is that a consumer's lock-in period expires prior to the closing of the loan. Any lock-in period should be long enough to allow for settlement, as well as the handling of any other factors that might arise that would delay settlement. Consumers should verify with their mortgage lender or broker the average time it is currently taking to process and close a mortgage loan. When demand for mortgage loans is high, processing times increase and a longer lock-in period may be appropriate.

While the actions or inactions of a mortgage lender or broker may cause a lock-in period to expire prior to loan closing, delays are occasionally caused by borrowers who fail to furnish required documents to the mortgage lender or broker in a timely manner. After a lock-in period expires, mortgage lenders may be unable to offer the same lock-in terms because they can no longer profitably sell the loan to investors based on such terms.  Lenders who keep their own loans have more flexibility with rates after the lock-in period expires.

In some cases, consumers may need to consult with an attorney to help determine contractual rights under a lock-in agreement. Of course, consumers may also contact the appropriate state or federal regulatory agency that regulates the mortgage broker or lender. If there is a lock-in agreement and a lock-in fee was paid, the borrower may be entitled to a full or partial refund of the fee. This will depend in large part on the language of the agreement. Always read the fine print in any agreement.

In summary:

• Always obtain a written lock-in agreement.
• Carefully read the lock-in agreement prior to signing it.
• Be sure the lock-in period is adequate for current market conditions.  Keep in mind that a very active market increases the time it takes to process a loan.
• Submit all information requested as expeditiously as possible.  

For additional information, contact the SCC's Bureau of Financial Institutions by calling toll-free within Virginia at 1-800-552-7945 or in Richmond at (804) 371-9657 or visit our website at scc.virginia.gov.