---
kind: "section"
citation: "12 U.S.C. § 5511"
title: "12"
title_heading: "Banks and Banking"
number: "5511"
heading: "Purpose, objectives, and functions"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/12/5511"
units:
  - "Chapter 53 — Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection"
  - "Subchapter V — Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection"
  - "Part B — General Powers of the Bureau"
---

# §5511. Purpose, objectives, and functions

- (a) **Purpose—** The [Bureau](/usc/12/5301.md?p=4) shall seek to implement and, where applicable, enforce [Federal consumer financial law](/usc/12/5481.md?p=14) consistently for the purpose of ensuring that all [consumers](/usc/12/5481.md?p=4) have access to markets for [consumer](/usc/12/5481.md?p=4) financial products and services and that markets for [consumer](/usc/12/5481.md?p=4) financial products and services are fair, transparent, and competitive.
- (b) **Objectives—** The [Bureau](/usc/12/5301.md?p=4) is authorized to exercise its authorities under [Federal consumer financial law](/usc/12/5481.md?p=14) for the purposes of ensuring that, with respect to [consumer](/usc/12/5481.md?p=4) financial products and services—
  - (1) [consumers](/usc/12/5481.md?p=4) are provided with timely and understandable information to make responsible decisions about financial transactions;
  - (2) [consumers](/usc/12/5481.md?p=4) 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  - (3) outdated, unnecessary, or unduly burdensome regulations are regularly identified and addressed in order to reduce unwarranted regulatory burdens;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](/usc/12/5481.md?p=14) is enforced consistently, without regard to the status of a [person](/usc/12/5481.md?p=19) as a [depository institution](/usc/12/5301.md?p=18-A), in order to promote fair competition; and
  - (5) markets for [consumer](/usc/12/5481.md?p=4) financial products and services operate transparently and efficiently to facilitate access and innovation.
- (c) **Functions—** The primary functions of the [Bureau](/usc/12/5301.md?p=4) are—
  - (1) conducting financial education programs;
  - (2) collecting, investigating, and responding to [consumer](/usc/12/5481.md?p=4) complaints;
  - (3) collecting, researching, monitoring, and publishing information relevant to the functioning of markets for [consumer](/usc/12/5481.md?p=4) financial products and services to identify risks to [consumers](/usc/12/5481.md?p=4) and the proper functioning of such markets;
  - (4) subject to sections [5514](/usc/12/5514.md) through [5516](/usc/12/5516.md) of this title, supervising [covered persons](/usc/12/5481.md?p=6) for compliance with [Federal consumer financial law](/usc/12/5481.md?p=14), and taking appropriate enforcement action to address [violations](/usc/12/5561.md?p=5) of [Federal consumer financial law](/usc/12/5481.md?p=14);
  - (5) issuing rules, orders, and guidance implementing [Federal consumer financial law](/usc/12/5481.md?p=14); and
  - (6) performing such support activities as may be necessary or useful to facilitate the other functions of the [Bureau](/usc/12/5301.md?p=4).

## Source credit

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

## Notes

### Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

### Effective Date

Pub. L. 111–203, title X, § 1029A, July 21, 2010, 124 Stat. 2005, provided that: “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) [12 U.S.C. 5512, 5514, and 5515(e)] shall become effective on the date of enactment of this Act [July 21, 2010].”

[The term “designated transfer date” is defined in section 5481(9) of this title as the date established under section 5582 of this title.]