If a consumer submits a complaint about a mortgage lender to the CFPB, the lender has how many days to respond before the CFPB publishes a complaint in its public complaint database?

When a consumer submits a complaint against a mortgage lender to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), the lender is allotted a specific timeframe to respond to that complaint. In this case, the correct timeline is fifteen days. This allows the lender a reasonable period to assess the complaint and formulate an appropriate response, ensuring that the CFPB can provide accurate and timely information to the public.

This 15-day response period is significant for maintaining transparency and accountability in the financial services industry. After this period, if the lender does not respond, the CFPB may still publish the complaint in its public database, contributing to the overall goal of empowering consumers with access to information about lenders' practices and responsiveness to customer issues.