Equal Credit Opportunity Act (Regulation B)

Document Headings Document headings vary by document type but may contain the following: the agency or agencies that issued and signed a document the number of the CFR title and the number of each part the document amends, proposes to amend, or is directly related to the agency docket number / agency internal file number the RIN which identifies each regulatory action listed in the Unified Agenda of Federal Regulatory and Deregulatory Actions See the Document Drafting Handbook for more details. Consumer Financial Protection Bureau 12 CFR Part 1002 [Docket No. CFPB-2025-0039] RIN 3170-AB54 ( printed page 21620) AGENCY: Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. ACTION: Final rule. SUMMARY: The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (Bureau or CFPB) is issuing a final rule that amends provisions related to disparate impact, discouragement of applicants or prospective applicants, and special purpose credit programs under Regulation B, the regulation implementing the Equal Credit Opportunity Act (ECOA or Act). The amendments facilitate compliance with ECOA by clarifying the obligations imposed by the statute. DATES: This final rule is effective July 21, 2026. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dave Gettler, Paralegal Specialist, Office of Regulations, at 202-435-7700 or https://reginquiries.consumerfinance.gov/​ . If you require this document in an alternative electronic format, please contact CFPB_Accessibility@cfpb.gov . SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: I. Summary Pursuant to its authority under ECOA, 15 U.S.C. 1691b(a) , and the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (Dodd-Frank Act), 12 U.S.C. 5512(b) , the Bureau is amending provisions in Regulation B, 12 CFR part 1002 , pertaining to: whether disparate impact is cognizable under the Act; under what circumstances a creditor may be deemed to be discouraging an applicant or prospective applicant; and under what conditions a creditor may offer special purpose credit programs (SPCPs). In 2020, the Bureau issu…