VOL. XCIV, NO. 247
★ FINANCIAL TOOLS & SERVICES DIRECTORY ★
PRICE: 5 CENTS
Saturday, September 27, 2025
Investors comparing CFPB Consumer Complaint Database and USAspending will find that Both CFPB Consumer Complaint Database and USAspending concentrate on Data APIs, APIs & SDKs, and Data Visualizations workflows, making them natural alternatives for similar investment research jobs. CFPB Consumer Complaint Database leans into Regulatory Filings Monitoring, which can be decisive for teams that need depth over breadth. USAspending stands out with Videos, and Other that the competition lacks. Use the feature-by-feature table to inspect unique capabilities and confirm which roadmap best maps to your process.
Head-to-head
CFPB Consumer Complaint Database vs USAspending
Compare pricing, supported platforms, categories, and standout capabilities to decide which tool fits your workflow.
Quick takeaways
- CFPB Consumer Complaint Database adds Regulatory Filings Monitoring coverage that USAspending skips.
- USAspending includes Videos, and Other categories that CFPB Consumer Complaint Database omits.
- CFPB Consumer Complaint Database highlights: Interactive explorer to filter, chart trends over time, map by geography, and read consented narratives., Programmatic access via the Consumer Complaint Database Search API; results available as JSON, CSV, XLS, or XLSX., and Daily refresh cadence; complaints published after a response or after 15 days; complaints referred to other regulators are not published..
- USAspending is known for: Advanced Search & profiles across awards, recipients, agencies, federal accounts; filters include date, place of performance, NAICS/PSC, Assistance Listing (formerly CFDA), DEFC for COVID/infrastructure., Spending Explorer and Agency/Federal Account profiles for top‑down views of obligations/outlays and drill‑downs by budget hierarchy., and Public REST API that powers the website (GET & POST endpoints; JSON responses); tutorial and contracts for commonly used endpoints..
CFPB Consumer Complaint Database
consumerfinance.gov
Official U.S. Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) database of consumer financial complaints. Complaints are published after the company responds or after 15 days (whichever comes first); the database generally updates daily. Narratives are published only with consumer consent and are scrubbed to remove personal information. The dataset includes product/issue taxonomies, company names, location fields (state/ZIP with privacy rules), submission channel, dates, company response categories, timeliness, tags (e.g., servicemember, older adult) and more. UI provides filters, trends, and maps; API returns JSON/CSV/Excel formats for programmatic use.
Platforms
Pricing
Quick highlights
- Interactive explorer to filter, chart trends over time, map by geography, and read consented narratives.
- Programmatic access via the Consumer Complaint Database Search API; results available as JSON, CSV, XLS, or XLSX.
- Daily refresh cadence; complaints published after a response or after 15 days; complaints referred to other regulators are not published.
- Detailed fields: product/sub‑product, issue/sub‑issue, company, dates (received/sent to company), state/ZIP (privacy rules), submission channel, tags (e.g., Servicemember, Older American), company public response, response category, timeliness, and (if consented) complaint narrative.
- Download tools on the site plus API endpoints for bulk or filtered pulls; annual and topical reports summarize trends.
USAspending
usaspending.gov
Official U.S. federal spending open‑data portal mandated by the DATA Act and operated by Treasury’s Bureau of the Fiscal Service. The public REST API powers the site (GET/POST endpoints, JSON responses). Data refreshes daily after a nightly pipeline; underlying source systems update on different cadences (e.g., monthly for Files A/B/C via the DATA Act Broker; next‑day for FPDS contracts; FABS within 2 weeks; FSRS subawards by month‑end; GTAS monthly). Bulk downloads and archives are available for awards back to FY2008.
Platforms
Pricing
Quick highlights
- Advanced Search & profiles across awards, recipients, agencies, federal accounts; filters include date, place of performance, NAICS/PSC, Assistance Listing (formerly CFDA), DEFC for COVID/infrastructure.
- Spending Explorer and Agency/Federal Account profiles for top‑down views of obligations/outlays and drill‑downs by budget hierarchy.
- Public REST API that powers the website (GET & POST endpoints; JSON responses); tutorial and contracts for commonly used endpoints.
- Bulk data: Award Data Archive (pre‑generated, by agency/fiscal year), Custom Award Data, Custom Account Data, and full Database Download.
- Award coverage: contracts, contract IDVs, grants, direct payments, loans, insurance, other financial assistance; prime awards and subawards (FSRS).
Shared focus areas
Both platforms align on these research themes, so you can stay within one workflow when your use case involves them.
Where they differ
CFPB Consumer Complaint Database
Distinct strengths include:
- Interactive explorer to filter, chart trends over time, map by geography, and read consented narratives.
- Programmatic access via the Consumer Complaint Database Search API; results available as JSON, CSV, XLS, or XLSX.
- Daily refresh cadence; complaints published after a response or after 15 days; complaints referred to other regulators are not published.
- Detailed fields: product/sub‑product, issue/sub‑issue, company, dates (received/sent to company), state/ZIP (privacy rules), submission channel, tags (e.g., Servicemember, Older American), company public response, response category, timeliness, and (if consented) complaint narrative.
USAspending
Distinct strengths include:
- Advanced Search & profiles across awards, recipients, agencies, federal accounts; filters include date, place of performance, NAICS/PSC, Assistance Listing (formerly CFDA), DEFC for COVID/infrastructure.
- Spending Explorer and Agency/Federal Account profiles for top‑down views of obligations/outlays and drill‑downs by budget hierarchy.
- Public REST API that powers the website (GET & POST endpoints; JSON responses); tutorial and contracts for commonly used endpoints.
- Bulk data: Award Data Archive (pre‑generated, by agency/fiscal year), Custom Award Data, Custom Account Data, and full Database Download.
Feature-by-feature breakdown
| Attribute | CFPB Consumer Complaint Database | USAspending |
|---|---|---|
Categories Which research workflows each platform targets | Shared: Data APIs, APIs & SDKs, Data Visualizations Unique: Regulatory Filings Monitoring | Shared: Data APIs, APIs & SDKs, Data Visualizations Unique: Videos, Other |
Asset types Supported asset classes and universes | Other | Other |
Experience levels Who each product is built for | Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced | Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced |
Platforms Where you can access the product | Web, API | Web, API |
Pricing High-level pricing models | Free | Free |
Key features Core capabilities called out by each vendor | Unique
| Unique
|
Tested Verified by hands-on testing inside Find My Moat | Not yet | Not yet |
Editor pick Featured inside curated shortlists | Standard listing | Standard listing |
Frequently Asked Questions
Which workflows do CFPB Consumer Complaint Database and USAspending both support?
Both platforms cover Data APIs, APIs & SDKs, and Data Visualizations workflows, so you can research those use cases in either tool before digging into the feature differences below.
Do CFPB Consumer Complaint Database and USAspending require subscriptions?
Both CFPB Consumer Complaint Database and USAspending keep freemium access with optional paid upgrades, so you can trial each platform before committing.
How can you access CFPB Consumer Complaint Database and USAspending?
Both CFPB Consumer Complaint Database and USAspending prioritize web or desktop access. Investors wanting a mobile-first workflow may need to rely on responsive web views.
What unique strengths set the two platforms apart?
CFPB Consumer Complaint Database differentiates itself with Interactive explorer to filter, chart trends over time, map by geography, and read consented narratives., Programmatic access via the Consumer Complaint Database Search API; results available as JSON, CSV, XLS, or XLSX., and Daily refresh cadence; complaints published after a response or after 15 days; complaints referred to other regulators are not published., whereas USAspending stands out for Advanced Search & profiles across awards, recipients, agencies, federal accounts; filters include date, place of performance, NAICS/PSC, Assistance Listing (formerly CFDA), DEFC for COVID/infrastructure., Spending Explorer and Agency/Federal Account profiles for top‑down views of obligations/outlays and drill‑downs by budget hierarchy., and Public REST API that powers the website (GET & POST endpoints; JSON responses); tutorial and contracts for commonly used endpoints..
Curation & Accuracy
This directory blends AI‑assisted discovery with human curation. Entries are reviewed, edited, and organized with the goal of expanding coverage and sharpening quality over time. Your feedback helps steer improvements (because no single human can capture everything all at once).
Details change. Pricing, features, and availability may be incomplete or out of date. Treat listings as a starting point and verify on the provider’s site before making decisions. If you spot an error or a gap, send a quick note and I’ll adjust.