0.03
correlation between relief given and the next quarter’s volume, across 260 theme-quarters
Across 260 complaint theme-quarters, the share of complaints closed with relief and the change in volume the next quarter were not linked: correlation 0.03, with a 95% interval of -0.10 to 0.16. We label that noise.
Relief puts one customer right. On this evidence, it is not a sign that the problem stopped.
More relief did not mean fewer complaints the next quarter
Theme-quarters whose complaint volume fell the next quarter, split by how much relief was given. 260 theme-quarters with 400 or more complaints, Q4 2024 to Q2 2026.
CFPB Consumer Complaint Database (CC0), company_response field. Spearman correlation 0.03, 95% interval -0.10 to 0.16, across 260 theme-quarters in 9 sectors. Read 25 Sep 2026.
What we counted
CFPB complaints in nine US consumer-finance sectors, Q4 2024 to Q2 2026. A theme-quarter is one issue in one sector in one quarter, with 400 or more complaints. Relief means the company closed the complaint with monetary or non-monetary relief; in the median theme-quarter, 16% of complaints were closed that way.
Split in half, 47 of 130 theme-quarters with the most relief had fewer complaints the next quarter, against 39 of 130 with the least. Two other cuts, monetary relief only and each theme against its own average, showed no sign that more relief went with fewer complaints.
Try this week
List the three complaint themes where you gave the most redress last quarter and check whether each one fell this quarter; where it did not, ask what changed at the source besides the redress.
Limits
Association only. Volume in these sectors rose 58% over the period. Companies have used the relief categories differently; the CFPB issued new guidance in June 2026.
Source: CFPB Consumer Complaint Database (structured records, company_response field, CC0), read 25 Sep 2026. Sample: 260 issue-quarters with 400 or more complaints, 50 issues, 9 sectors. Period: complaints received Q4 2024 to Q2 2026. Aggregation: share closed with monetary or non-monetary relief per issue-quarter against the next quarter’s volume change; Spearman correlation with a bootstrap interval. Caveat: association only; volume rose 58%; relief categories were used inconsistently before the June 2026 guidance.
How we count: onclarity.com/labs/method
Public data, analysed by OnClarity Labs. Sector level only; no company or person named.
