2020 Census of Finance Companies and Other Lenders

Welcome to the 2020 Census of Finance Companies and Other Lenders.

This census is a key part of a larger effort by the Federal Reserve System to produce data on the types and volume of financing provided by nonbank financial institutions to households and businesses in the U.S. economy.

The results of this effort help inform the Federal Reserve System of the effects of its policy decisions on credit markets that provide financing to millions of households and businesses.

The results are also the basis for industry-specific information in publicly available data releases, including the G.19 Consumer Credit release, the G.20 Finance Companies release, and the Z.1 Financial Accounts of the United States release (tables F.128 and L.128). For the financial industry, nonfinancial businesses, policymakers outside the Federal Reserve System, and researchers, these releases are critical indicators of the state of the U.S. economy. Examples of analysis of these data are available in the Federal Reserve Bulletin and the FEDS Notes.

Since 1955, the Federal Reserve System has conducted this census every five years to obtain current, statistically reliable data on the composition of the industry. No other source exists for these data. Because this study is a census, it aims to classify every company in the United States that operates or might operate as a nonbank lender providing financing to households and businesses. For the purposes of this census, each of these companies is irreplaceable.

Participation in this census is voluntary. Individual company responses are confidential pursuant to exemption 4 of the Freedom of Information Act, 5 U.S.C. § 552(b)(4).

The Federal Reserve encourages companies to participate in the Census of Finance Companies and Other Lenders. Please read the letter (PDF) from Jerome H. Powell, Chair of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, encouraging participation in the census. A copy of the census form is available for viewing here (PDF).

If you have questions regarding the survey, please visit our Frequently Asked Questions page.

Attention: The online portal for the 2020 Census of Finance Companies and Other Lenders is now closed. Please email [email protected] or call 1-800-281-4930 if you have any questions. If you would like to submit your response electronically, please email [email protected]. You can also mail your completed paper form to:

Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System
P.O. Box 341
Annapolis Junction, MD 20701-0341

Thank you.

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Last Update: July 19, 2021