A federal appeals court will soon decide whether the Trump administration can fire a majority of the staff at an agency tasked with helping consumers and take other actions that could gut the bureau.

The Trump administration hasdelayed funding and moved to cut positions at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) to rein in an agency it says has engaged in abusive practices and unfairly targeted some companies and hurt consumers.

Advocates, however, say the administration’s actions could further cripple an agency that has returned more than $21 billion to consumers since 2011, taking away a key entity created by Congress that has consumers’ backs.

The 11 active judges of the U.S. District Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit are scheduled to hold a hearing Feb. 24 to decide whether to uphold a preliminary injunction that stopped terminations of most of CFPB’s staff, the canceling of contracts and other actions.

Acting CFPB Director Russell Vought told USA TODAY in an emailed statement that the Trump administration is overhauling an “abusive” agency that was “weaponized against the American people and industries that serve them.”

But several advocates said what’s at stake is the fate of the CFPB consumer complaint system and database, where consumers can turn for help to dispute credit card or loan charges, car repossessions, home foreclosures and other concerns. The CFPB is the one federal agency that has the authority to go to bat for consumers with financial institutions, advocates said – a power given to the bureau when it was created by Congress after the 2008 financial crisis.

“Losing America’s Wall Street watchdog – and in particular the ability for consumers to file a complaint when things go wrong – would be catastrophic,” Protect Borrowers Executive Director Mike Pierce told USA TODAY.

What is the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau?

The CFPB is an independent agency established in 2010 by Congress.

It has the authority to investigate and act on consumer complaints. It also monitors financial markets for possible fraud, enforces laws that seek to root out discrimination in consumer finance and has come up with regulations that limit high credit card and overdraft fees.

The CFPB helped consumer David Biddle of Philadelphia in 2023. He fought on the phone with a financial institution for nearly three months to close a fraudulent $27,500 loan, which was tanking his credit. But he didn’t get any action until he filed a complaint.

“I simply went to the CFPB and, boom, they did their job,” Biddle told USA TODAY. Nine business days later, he received a letter from the credit bureau saying the account was closed.

CFPB had critics from the start

But the CFPB has always been unpopular with financial institutions, businesses and many conservative lawmakers.

In a Jan. 5, 2026 blog post, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce called for the CFPB’s consumer complaint system to be fixed, saying the previous CFPB leadership took actions to allow fraudulent requests.

The American Bankers Association, which had called on President Donald Trump in a January 2025 letter to “halt work on all open regulatory actions,” told USA TODAY it appreciated “efforts by Trump administration regulators, including the CFPB, to correct some of the overreach from the prior administration.”

Trump did not respond to a USA TODAY inquiry but told reporters in February 2025 “we’re trying to get rid of waste, fraud and abuse” and that he wanted to eliminate the agency.

Lawsuits have also challenged the CFPB’s funding, which by law comes through the Federal Reserve. At least one case decided by the U.S. Supreme Court affirmed the funding was legal.

Vought did not request agency funding for nearly a year. But following a court ruling saying that he could not refuse those monies, on Jan. 9 he requested funds to sustain the CFPB through March.

In a statement to USA TODAY, Vought, a key author of Project 2025 – which called for eliminating the CFPB – said the agency reviewed and “where appropriate, dismissed investigations and cases that went after disfavored industries and companies.”

That included “cases claiming racial discrimination where no evidence of discrimination exists,” he said. “In going after companies they didn’t like, the CFPB ended up actually harming the consumers they claim to protect,” Vought said.

Since February 2025, the CFPB has permanently dismissed 22 pending lawsuits against banks and other financial institutions, according to a Protect Borrowers October report. It has also modified, ended early or otherwise changed 23 court-approved settlements, including three actions since the report, Pierce said. In some actions, like those involving Toyota Motor Credit and Navy Federal Credit Union, the CFPB canceled the companies’ obligations to refund tens of millions of dollars to customers, he said.

Supreme Court ruling: Why more White workers are about to sue for discrimination

‘CFPB RIP’

Erie Meyer, the former CFPB chief technologist whose team built the complaint system in 2011, is worried that consumers won’t have a place to turn if the database and CFPB are shut down. No other federal, local or state agencies have the authority granted by Congress to hold financial institutions accountable like the CFPB, she said. Meyer spoke to USA TODAY exclusively about her worries that the complaint portal her team built could be shut off.

Meyer resigned in February last year. The day she was leaving the building “with my cardboard box, I ran into DOGE” Meyer told USA TODAY, referring to Department of Government Efficiency workers.She then saw Elon Musk’s tweet “CFPB RIP” as she was driving out of the parking lot.

“The CFPB’s consumer complaint process is the most effective tool for Americans to get help with their bank, credit card or student loan servicer,” Meyer said. “In 2024, 2.7 million people got help, including $93 million back in restitution. In 2025, complaints doubled. If it vanishes, so many people will be left in a lurch.”

Complaint system puts pressure on companies

Consumer complaints also helped CFPB employees determine if an issue was more widespread, an attorney with the CFPB told USA TODAY. The newspaper has agreed to grant the employee anonymity because he is not authorized to speak for the CFPB and is fearful of employment consequences.

He was among the employees not permitted to work since early February 2025. Many employees have been locked out of the building and are not being given assignments by their supervisors, he said.

“Amid this affordability crisis, the CFPB’s mission is more important than ever, and we just want to get back to work protecting consumers,” the attorney said.  

Chuck Bell, advocacy program director at Consumer Reports, told USA TODAY in an emailed statement that his organization has “heard from countless consumers who were unable to resolve disputes until they filed a complaint with the CFPB.”

There has already been a glimpse of what could happen if the consumer complaint portal is shut down, said Meyer.

In February 2025, Vought shut it down for 24 hours, and it “limped along” until the preliminary injunction forced it to reopen, she said. That delay caused more than 16,000 consumer complaints and 75 imminent foreclosure complaints to be stuck in limbo, according to March 11, 2025 testimony from Matthew Pfaff, the current chief of staff for the CFPB’s office of consumer response, in the case that led to the preliminary injunction.

December 2025 ruling: Consumer Financial Protection
Bureau must be funded, judge rules

For now, the complaint system is still operating, but it has lost its bite, said Adam Rust, the director of financial services for the Consumer Federation of America.

Complaints have increased: 43.3% of the more than 12.6 million complaints registered since 2011 were filed in the last year and more than 97% of unresolved complaints have come since Vought took over, he said.

“Financial companies know accountability is gone,” Rust told USA TODAY. “With no one in the consumers’ corner, complaints are ignored, and every day people pay the price.”

Biddle doesn’t understand why protecting consumers has become political.

“Everybody in this country is a consumer. Everybody in this country knows the aggravation of having to deal with the corporate and business bureaucracy,” he said. “It makes no sense.”

Betty Lin-Fisher is a consumer reporter for USA TODAY. Reach her at blinfisher@USATODAY.com or follow her on X, Facebook or Instagram @blinfisher and @blinfisher.bsky.social on Bluesky.

The S&P 500‘s dividend yield is around 1.2% these days, which is near its all-time low. However, that doesn’t mean there aren’t attractive income opportunities today. Several high-quality companies currently offer dividend yields that are much higher.

Here are three safe dividend stocks with yields of at least 3% that you can confidently buy right now.

Brookfield Infrastructure

Brookfield Infrastructure‘s (BIPC +0.78%)(BIP +1.61%) dividend yield is around 3.8% these days. The global infrastructure operator has a diverse portfolio of critical infrastructure businesses across the utilities, transportation, energy midstream, and data sectors. Most of those businesses generate durable cash flows backed by long-term contracts or government-regulated rate structures (85% of its funds from operations) that either index rates to inflation or protect its earnings from its impact. As a result, Brookfield generates steadily rising cash flow to support its dividend.

The company aims to pay out 60% to 70% of its stable cash flows in dividends, retaining the remainder to reinvest in expanding its operations. Brookfield currently has about $7.8 billion in capital projects in its backlog, which it expects to complete over the next two to three years. The bulk is in its data segment (nearly $6 billion) and includes its investments in a U.S. semiconductor foundry and multiple global data center projects.

Brookfield Infrastructure

Today’s Change

(0.78%) $0.35

Current Price

$45.54

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Key Data Points

Market Cap

$6.0B

Day’s Range

$44.89 – $45.54

52wk Range

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$32.08 – $47.71

Volume

15K

Avg Vol

586K

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Gross Margin

62.66%

Dividend Yield

3.78%

Brookfield Infrastructure also acquires new businesses. It has secured $1.5 billion of deals over the past year, including investments in a U.S. refined products pipeline system, a bulk fiber network, and an advanced fuel cell system to power data centers. The company’s growth catalysts support its expectations of growing its funds from operations by more than 10% annually, which should drive dividend increases of 5% to 9% each year. Brookfield has grown its payout at a 9% compound annual rate since 2009.

ExxonMobil

ExxonMobil (XOM +0.94%) has a dividend yield of just over 3%. The global oil and gas giant supports its dividend with a large-scale, globally integrated business. That helps mute some of the impact of oil price volatility on its earnings. Exxon also has a fortress balance sheet.

Today’s Change

(0.94%) $1.26

Current Price

$134.90

Key Data Points

Market Cap

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$569B

Day’s Range

$134.49 – $135.98

52wk Range

$97.80 – $135.98

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Volume

647K

Avg Vol

16M

Gross Margin

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22.11%

Dividend Yield

2.96%

The oil and gas giant is already the most profitable company in the industry. It expects to make even more money in the future. Exxon anticipates delivering $25 billion in earnings growth and $35 billion in cash flow growth, compared to 2024’s levels, on a constant-price, constant-margin basis by 2030. It aims to deliver that incremental profitability through a combination of structural cost savings and high-return growth capital projects.

Exxon’s plan would enable it to generate about $145 billion in cumulative surplus cash over the next five years at an average oil price of around $65 per barrel. That would give the oil company plenty of fuel to continue increasing its dividend, which it has done for a sector-leading 42 consecutive years.

Prologis

Prologis (PLD +0.38%) has a 3.2% dividend yield. The real estate investment trust (REIT) backs its dividend with the stable cash flows produced by the long-term leases securing its properties. Most of its leases contain annual rental escalation clauses, enabling it to earn steadily rising rental income.

Today’s Change

(0.38%) $0.48

Current Price

$127.15

Key Data Points

Market Cap

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$118B

Day’s Range

$125.67 – $127.39

52wk Range

$85.35 – $134.94

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Volume

4.1M

Avg Vol

3.5M

Gross Margin

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44.70%

Dividend Yield

3.18%

The REIT has a conservative dividend payout ratio and one of the sector’s strongest balance sheets. That gives it the financial flexibility to expand its portfolio. It invests in development projects and makes acquisitions.

Prologis primarily invests in logistics properties. However, it sees a significant opportunity to leverage its vast land bank, its experience installing solar panels and battery storage at its sites, and its expertise in constructing building shells to develop data centers. These growth drivers should enable Prologis to continue increasing its dividend. It has grown its payout at a 13% compound annual rate over the last five years, well above the S&P 500’s 5% average.

High-quality dividend stocks

Brookfield Infrastructure, ExxonMobil, and Prologis all pay dividends yielding more than 3% backed by strong businesses and financial profiles. They also have excellent dividend growth track records, which should continue. Those features make them safe dividend stocks you shouldn’t hesitate to buy right now.

I still think of Berkshire Hathaway‘s (BRK.A 0.72%) (BRK.B 1.14%) portfolio as Warren Buffett’s portfolio. The legendary investor’s decision to pass the baton as CEO to Greg Abel hasn’t changed my view in the slightest. After all, Buffett is still Berkshire’s board chairman and its largest shareholder.

Even with Buffett no longer the official public face of Berkshire Hathaway, his fingerprints remain all over the conglomerate’s holdings. For example, a whopping 35% of Berkshire’s $309 billion portfolio is invested in five financial stocks that Buffett likes.

Berkshire’s top five financial stocks

It probably won’t come as a surprise that American Express (AXP 1.72%) ranks as Berkshire’s largest financial services holding, accounting for 17.3% of the company’s portfolio as of its latest 13-F filing. AmEx is one of Buffett’s longest-held positions. He included it among several stocks that he told Berkshire Hathaway shareholders in 2024 that he expected the conglomerate to “maintain indefinitely.”

Sure, Buffett is not as big a fan of bank stocks as he once was. However, Bank of America (BAC 1.34%) is Berkshire’s second-largest financial stock position and third-largest holding overall. It comprises 9.6% of the company’s portfolio.

Today’s Change

(-1.34%) $-0.70

Current Price

$51.74

Key Data Points

Market Cap

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$378B

Day’s Range

$51.38 – $52.25

52wk Range

$33.06 – $57.55

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Volume

1.1M

Avg Vol

38M

Dividend Yield

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2.09%

Moody’s (MCO 1.26%) has two core businesses. It provides risk management services to institutional investors. The company is also one of the largest credit ratings agencies. I suspect that Buffett finds both units appealing. Moody’s ranks as Berkshire’s sixth-largest holding, accounting for 4.1% of its portfolio.

Chubb (CB +0.00%) is one of Buffett’s more significant new positions over the last couple of years. The “Oracle of Omaha” no doubt thoroughly understands Chubb’s property and casualty insurance business. Chubb is among Berkshire’s top 10 holdings and makes up 3.1% of its portfolio.

Visa (V 0.06%) is another financial stock that seems to be a logical fit for Buffett. The credit card processing giant accounts for roughly 0.9% of Berkshire’s portfolio.

How they compare

None of these stocks stands out as head and shoulders above the pack in performance over the last 12 months. American Express, Bank of America, and Chubb are running neck and neck.

But while Visa has delivered the lowest gains over the last 12 months, it’s Wall Street’s favorite over the next 12 months. The consensus price target for the stock reflects a potential upside of over 20%. Bank of America doesn’t lag far behind Visa, though, with a price target that’s nearly 20% above its current share price.

Today’s Change

(-0.06%) $-0.18

Current Price

$326.18

Key Data Points

Market Cap

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$624B

Day’s Range

$324.62 – $327.80

52wk Range

$299.00 – $375.51

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Volume

5.7M

Avg Vol

6.9M

Gross Margin

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77.31%

Dividend Yield

0.75%

Bank of America is the clear winner when it comes to dividends. The company’s forward dividend yield of 2.1% is well above the yields of the other top four financial stocks in Berkshire’s portfolio.

What about valuation? Chubb comes out on top on one metric. Its forward price-to-earnings ratio is 11.3, below the 12.1 forward earnings multiple of second-place Bank of America. However, Bank of America is the winner on valuation with growth factored in. Its price-to-earnings-to-growth (PEG) ratio, which includes analysts’ earnings growth projections over the next five years, is 1.0, well below the PEG ratios of the other four stocks.

Today’s Change

(-0.00%) $-0.01

Current Price

$300.91

Key Data Points

Market Cap

$118B

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Day’s Range

$298.52 – $302.92

52wk Range

$263.14 – $316.94

Volume

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1.8M

Avg Vol

1.7M

Dividend Yield

1.27%

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The best of the bunch for 2026

My view is that all of Berkshire’s top five financial stocks are solid long-term picks. I don’t think investors would go wrong buying any of them. But which is the best of the bunch for 2026?

Bank of America appears to be the most attractive overall. It ranked either first or second in each of the categories used to compare the five stocks. If the market declines significantly, though, Chubb would likely hold up better than BofA. Still, I’ll go with BofA as the best of these five Buffett stocks for the new year.