Consumer Information - Banking and Financial Institutions

Consumer Information

Have questions about financial institutions in Montana? We're here to help. Our website covers licensing, consumer information, and regulatory guidance — but if you can't find what you need, contact us by email or phone.

We also offer presentations on financial safety and education. Reach out to schedule one for your group or organization.

News-related Information

Consumer Alerts

Before doing business with a financial institution, company, or individual, make sure they are properly licensed. Use the resources below to verify.

State Chartered Banks, Trust Companies, and Credit Unions

Federal Regulated Entities

If the institution or individual is not regulated by our agency, check with the appropriate federal regulator.

Mortgage Brokers, Lenders, Servicers, and Loan Originators; and Consumer Lenders, Escrow Businesses, Sales Finance Companies

The Division does not issue paper licenses. All proof of licensure is electronic through Nationwide Multistate Licensing System (NMLS).

  • NMLS Consumer Access - Find licensing and registration information for mortgage, consumer finance, debt, money service businesses, ad debt-related businesses.

The Division is responsible for ensuring that all chartered institutions and licensees operate in a safe and sound manner. When institutions or licensees fail to meet these standards, formal actions are documented and made available for public review. Click the link below to view the Division’s enforcement actions.

View Division Enforcement Actions information.

Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC)

The FDIC supervises and examines state-chartered banks that are not members of the Federal Reserve System. It also insures deposits at nearly all U.S. banks and thrifts regardless of charter type.

Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation
San Francisco Regional Office
25 Jessie Street at Ecker Square
San Francisco, CA 94105
(415) 546-0160

Federal Reserve Bank (FRB)

The Federal Reserve supervises, regulates, and examines state-chartered banks that are members of the Federal Reserve System, all bank holding companies, and foreign banks operating in the United States. Montana state-chartered member banks are overseen by the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis, which serves the Ninth Federal Reserve District.

Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System
Division of Consumer and Community Affairs
20th and C Streets, N.W., Stop 801
Washington, D.C. 20551
(202) 452-3693

Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis
90 Hennepin Avenue
P.O. Box 291
Minneapolis, MN 55480-0291

Office of Comptroller of the Currency (OCC)

The OCC charters, supervises, regulates, and examines all national banks, as well as federal branches and agencies of foreign banks.

Customer Assistance Group
P.O. Box 53570
Houston, TX 77052
(800) 613-6743
helpwithmybank.gov

Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB)

The CFPB educates and protects consumers from unfair, deceptive, or abusive financial practices, supervises banks, credit unions, and other financial companies, and enforces federal consumer financial laws.

Consumer Financial Protection Bureau
P.O. Box 27170
Washington, DC 20038
(855) 411-2372

National Credit Union Administration (NCUA)

The NCUA charters, supervises, and insures deposits at all federal credit unions. It also supervises and insures deposits at most state-chartered credit unions. In Montana, all state-chartered credit unions are federally insured through the NCUA except one which carries private deposit insurance.

National Credit Union Administration
1775 Duke Street
Alexandria, VA 22314
(703) 518-6300

NCUA Western Region
1230 W. Washington Street, Suite 301
Tempe, AZ 85281
(602) 302-6000

To request public records from the Division of Banking and Financial Institutions, visit the Office of Public Information Requests.

How Do I Get a Lien Release From an Entity No Longer in Business?

When a vehicle loan is paid in full, the lien holder sends a lien release to the borrower or the Motor Vehicle Department. If your vehicle title lists a lien holder that is no longer in business, the Division of Banking and Financial Institutions (Division) may be able to help — depending on the type of lien holder.

State-Chartered Banks or Credit Unions

The Division may be able to connect you with the financial institution that purchased the closed institution's accounts. Success depends on how long ago the institution closed and how long ago the loan was paid off.

Consumer Loan or Sales Finance Companies

If the lien holder was previously licensed by the Division, we may be able to provide contact information for their corporate office. Companies that have been closed for more than two years may be difficult to locate.

Filing a Compliant or Written Request

In some cases, a financial institution currently regulated by the Division may have purchased the accounts of a closed lender. If so, you may need to submit a written request or complaint with the Division to obtain the lien release.

When the Division Cannot Help

The Division cannot assist with lien releases if the lien holder is an auto dealership, salvage yard, or a financial institution that was never chartered or licensed by the Division. If the lien holder is a failed national bank, visit the FDIC's Obtaining a Lien Release for assistance.

If it is impossible to obtain a lien release from the lien holder, contact your District Court for information about removing a title lien by court order.

Still Have Questions?

Call the Montana Division of Banking and Financial Institutions at (406) 841-2920.

The Division of Banking and Financial Institutions (Division) regulates state-chartered banks and credit unions, state-licensed mortgage entities and individuals, consumer loan companies, sales finance companies, escrow companies, and deferred deposit lenders. The Division does not regulate payment processors such as Visa and Mastercard.

Traditionally, payment processor agreements prohibited merchants from charging fees to consumers using debit cards. In recent years, however, those agreements have been updated or the restrictions are no longer being enforced, which has led to more merchants charging debit card fees.

While federal law regulates certain aspects of debit card transactions, neither Montana law nor federal regulation specifically prohibits merchants from charging consumers a fee for using a debit card. As a result, the Division has no authority to act on complaints related to debit card fees.

If you want to avoid the debit card fee, you can pay using cash or check, or decide to use another business.

The Division aims to provide information and resources for homeowners behind on mortgage payments, in default, or facing foreclosure. If you are having trouble making your mortgage payments or have fallen behind and are in default or facing foreclosure, act quickly. The sooner you reach out, the more options may be available to you.

Contact a Foreclosure Prevention Counselor

The most important step you can take is to contact a qualified foreclosure prevention counselor. A counselor will help guide you through what can be a complicated and overwhelming process and identify all available resources. This service is free.

NeighborWorks Montana is a nonprofit network of local and state organizations that provides free, certified foreclosure prevention counseling across Montana. To find a counselor in your area, call 1-866-587-2244 or visit their website.

Montana HUD approved housing counseling agencies are also available statewide. Find one through the Montana HUD-approved housing counseling agencies directory.

Contact Your Lender or Loan Servicer

Contact your lender or loan servicer as soon as you realize you cannot make a payment. Early communication gives you the best chance of finding a solution, which may include modifying your interest rate or monthly payment, setting up a repayment plan, or arranging a temporary postponement of payments (forbearance). Respond promptly to mail and phone calls from your lender, provide requested information quickly, and keep copies of everything. If your lender does not hear from you, they are more likely to begin foreclosure proceedings.

Visit Making Home Affordable which provides a valuable list of resources available to homeowners.

Call the Homeowner's HOPE Hotline

The HOPE Hotline provides free foreclosure prevention counseling 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, in more than 170 languages. Call toll-free at 1-888-995-HOPE (1-888-995-4673) or visit 995hope.org. 

Seek Legal Assistance

If legal proceedings have already started, seek legal counsel immediately. The State Bar of Montana's Lawyer Referral Service is a free public service available by calling (406) 449-6577, Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. If you cannot afford an attorney, contact the Montana Legal Services Association help line at (800) 666-6899.

Avoid Foreclosure Rescue Scams

Homeowners in financial distress are frequent targets of two types of scams: "foreclosure rescue fraud" and "home equity theft."

Foreclosure rescue scams typically involve someone promising to stop your foreclosure or negotiate with your lender — often for large upfront fees — and then failing to deliver. Some scammers offer to temporarily hold your home while you catch up on payments, then use deceptive tactics to take ownership for far less than its market value, leaving you homeless but still responsible for the mortgage.

Home equity theft schemes work similarly, targeting homeowners with significant equity in their homes. Scammers use deceptive paperwork or high-pressure tactics to transfer ownership of your home while you believe you are simply refinancing or getting a loan.

In both cases, remember that foreclosure prevention counseling is available for free. It is often better to put any available money toward your mortgage payments rather than paying fees to someone promising a quick fix. Learn more at the FTC's Mortgage Relief Scams page.

Contact the Division

If you are unsure where to turn, or if you have been solicited by a loan modification business or believe you have been a victim of a loan modification scam, contact the Division of Banking and Financial Institutions at (406) 841-2920 or banking@mt.gov. Division staff can answer questions about the financial institutions it regulates and confirm whether a business is licensed.

Whether you're opening your first account or planning your estate, find the financial guidance you need for every stage of life. Improving your financial literacy is one of the most important steps you can take for your future. Use the vetted resources below to learn about banking, credit, and investment safety.

  • Verify a License with DBFI
    • Verify that a company or individual is licensed to do business in Montana.
  • Credit Unions Financial Reports
    • 5300 Call Reports are a quarterly listing of summarized accounts collected from all Federally Insured credit unions.
  • FINRA Broker Check
    • Broker Check allows you to see who is currently registered with the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) or a national securities exchange, or who has been registered within the last 10 years
  • Nationwide Multistate Licensing System Consumer Access
    • Contains licensing/registration information on mortgage, consumer finance, debt, and money services companies, branches, and individuals licensed by state regulatory agencies participating in NMLS.
  • FDIC Institution Directory
    • Use advanced search criteria to find a bank or bank holding company, generate comprehensive financial or demographic reports, and find bank locations or groups of banks.
  • Federal Reserve National Information Center
    • A repository of financial data and institution characteristics collected by the Federal Reserve System.

Before filing a complaint with the Montana Division of Banking & Financial Institutions (DBFI), we encourage you to first contact the company to attempt to resolve the matter. Many problems can be resolved quickly with a letter or phone call. If you are unable to reach a resolution, you can submit a complaint using either of the links below. For a better understanding of the complaint process, review the Frequently Asked Questions section.

File a Complaint With Our Agency

  • Complete a Complaint Form and email, mail or fax to our office. Note: This form must be downloaded and saved to your computer before filling out and clicking the submit button. (Click to download the latest version of Adobe Reader)
  • A written complaint is required. Oral complaints cannot be accepted or reviewed.

Our Division handles complaints against the below charter/license types.

If you have a complaint against a national bank or federal savings association, please contact the Office of Comptroller of Currency (OCC) at (800) 613-6743.

If you have a complaint against a federally chartered credit union, please contact the National Credit Union Association (NCUA) at (800) 755-1030.

If you have a complaint regarding a student loan, vehicle loan or lease, credit card or prepaid card, credit reporting, debt collection, money transfer or virtual currency or other financial services, please contact the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) at (885) 411-2372.

If you have a complaint against antitrust, car/truck sales and repair, telemarketing, credit management services, door-to-door sales, gas pricing, identity theft, internet related issues, unfair acts by a business or scams, please contact the Montana Department of Justice - Office of Consumer Protection (OCP) at (800) 481-6896.

If you have a complaint against an insurance producer or company, a title insurance company or a securities broker dealer, salesman or representative, or investment advisor or representative, contact the Office of the Montana State Auditor Troy Downing, Insurance – Montana Commissioner of Securities and Insurance (csimt.gov).

Mortgage, consumer loan, sales finance, or escrow business license information is available on the Nationwide Multistate Licensing System website. All licenses expire annually on December 31st. Currently, there are no licensed deferred deposit lenders (payday lenders) in Montana.

Below are links for lists of state-chartered banks, mutual savings and loan associations, and credit unions. Currently, there are no state-chartered trust companies in Montana.

To protect the privacy of those who deal with state and local government, the Division may not provide distribution lists, as stated in 2-6-1017, MCA - Prohibition On Dissemination Or Use Of Distribution Lists - Exceptions - Penalties. If you feel you have a request that meets the exemptions in the statute, please send an email to banking@mt.gov containing the information requested along with details on how the information will be used.