What is the Office of the Ombudsman?

The FDIC Office of the Ombudsman serves as an independent, neutral, and confidential liaison for the banking industry and general public. As a liaison, we facilitate problem and complaint resolution concerning FDIC regulatory activities. The OO strives to influence positive change.

If you have a problem or complaint with the FDIC that is not involved in litigation, arbitration, or mediation, you may contact the Office of the Ombudsman for confidential assistance. Our office will work with other FDIC divisions and offices as a liaison to resolve your issue. You may also contact us with questions about FDIC policies and procedures. We will refer you to a subject matter expert within the FDIC, or independently research the issues to provide answers to your questions.

Contact with the Office of the Ombudsman does not prevent an inquirer from pursuing formal resolution channels within the FDIC, nor does it constitute initiation of a formal complaint, grievance or appeal process, or forestall the time limits for pursuing formal resolutions that are established within those formal processes.

Ombudsman Activities

The Office of the Ombudsman is committed to actively engaging with our stakeholders, as well as promoting transparency relative to agency activities. Therefore, it is our hope that you will find this report to be of value in understanding the role of the Ombudsman and the various areas where we can provide assistance to the Agency’s stakeholders. We welcome your feedback on the content of this report, as well as your suggestions for improving future editions. Additionally, if you need our services, please submit any comments in this regard to the FDIC Ombudsman Office.