What people brought to the CFPB about Populus Financial Group, Inc. (F/K/A Ace Cash Express), what they complained about, and how the company closed it.
The single most common complaint is took or threatened to take negative or legal action. The product people name most is debt collection.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Took or threatened to take negative or legal action | 300 | 14.1% |
| Communication tactics | 223 | 10.5% |
| False statements or representation | 144 | 6.8% |
| Struggling to pay your loan | 133 | 6.3% |
| Taking/threatening an illegal action | 131 | 6.2% |
| Charged fees or interest I didn't expect | 113 | 5.3% |
| Can't contact lender | 95 | 4.5% |
| Charged fees or interest you didn't expect | 85 | 4.0% |
| Attempts to collect debt not owed | 78 | 3.7% |
| Cont'd attempts collect debt not owed | 65 | 3.1% |
| Product | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Debt collection | 1,056 | 49.7% |
| Payday loan, title loan, or personal loan | 362 | 17.1% |
| Payday loan | 326 | 15.4% |
| Payday loan, title loan, personal loan, or advance loan | 95 | 4.5% |
| Consumer Loan | 80 | 3.8% |
| Money transfer, virtual currency, or money service | 72 | 3.4% |
| Credit reporting, credit repair services, or other personal consumer reports | 41 | 1.9% |
| Checking or savings account | 29 | 1.4% |
| Outcome | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Closed with explanation | 2,048 | 96.5% |
| Closed | 65 | 3.1% |
| Closed with monetary relief | 4 | 0.2% |
| In progress | 4 | 0.2% |
| Closed with non-monetary relief | 2 | 0.1% |
Closed with explanation is the usual outcome across the whole database. It records that the company answered. It does not record who was right.
| Year | Complaints |
|---|---|
| 2021 | 202 |
| 2022 | 76 |
| 2023 | 40 |
| 2024 | 48 |
| 2025 | 95 |
| 2026 | 57 |
2026 is a part year.
| State | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| TX | 675 | 31.8% |
| CA | 325 | 15.3% |
| OH | 124 | 5.8% |
| FL | 116 | 5.5% |
| CO | 71 | 3.3% |
| MO | 62 | 2.9% |
| TN | 55 | 2.6% |
| LA | 53 | 2.5% |
| VA | 44 | 2.1% |
| OR | 43 | 2.0% |
| Group | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Servicemembers and veterans | 202 | 9.5% |
| Older Americans | 106 | 5.0% |
Consumers add these tags themselves. Most people add nothing, so both figures are floors.
A big complaint count usually means a big customer base. A bank with 60 million customers will out-complain a bank with 200,000 whatever either one does. Counts are not a quality score and this page is not a ranking.
The CFPB does not judge who was right. A complaint is the consumer's account of what happened. The company answers it. Neither side is verified here.
Credit reporting dominates the database. Two thirds of all complaints on file are about credit reports, and disputes filed in bulk on consumers' behalf are part of that. It distorts every total that includes the credit bureaus.
Complaints go to the company through the CFPB, and the company has 15 days to respond. You get a tracking number. Most complaints close inside 60 days. Start at consumerfinance.gov/complaint.
Source: CFPB Consumer Complaint Database, retrieved 2026-08-05. Newest record on file 2026-08-04. Filed under the name Populus Financial Group, Inc. (F/K/A Ace Cash Express).