Capital One Financial
COF
Financials
3
exclusion reasons
2 themes
This page is part of our public exclusion list — a transparency tool that shows which companies we screen out and why. It is not investment advice, and it is not an accusation. But it is subject to change as our understanding of the facts evolves.
Capital One Financial has been subject to multiple enforcement actions for systemic misconduct in its consumer banking practices. In January 2025, the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) assessed a $7 million civil money penalty against the bank for systemic sales practices misconduct that lasted until 2016. This followed a 2021 enforcement action where Capital One was fined millions for anti-money laundering violations.
Separately, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) had filed a lawsuit accusing Capital One of misleading customers, allegedly costing them $2 billion in lost interest. While the CFPB moved to dismiss this specific suit in February 2025, the allegations detailed a pattern of consumer harm through deceptive practices. This history of regulatory penalties and significant consumer fraud allegations demonstrates a documented pattern of financial misconduct.
CFPB suit (Jan 2025): cheated consumers out of $2B+ in interest by freezing 360 Savings rates while hiding higher-yield product. Dismissed by Vought admin — conduct documented. ACL ratio >4% confirms subprime structural model.
Capital One Financial provides significant financing to fossil fuel operators through its lending and capital markets activities. The bank is among the world's 60 largest financiers of fossil fuels, committing billions of dollars to the industry. This financing enables the expansion and operation of fossil fuel projects, positioning Capital One as a critical ancillary service provider to the sector.
The bank's financing activities have been linked to specific violations. In 2021, FinCEN announced a $390 million enforcement action against Capital One for willful and negligent violations of the Bank Secrecy Act from at least 2008 through 2014. These violations caused millions of dollars in suspicious transactions to go unreported, including transactions potentially linked to fossil fuel projects and other high-risk activities. This pattern of regulatory failure underscores systemic governance issues in its risk management.
Despite increased public pressure on major banks to reduce fossil fuel financing, Capital One has not announced a comprehensive policy to restrict funding for new fossil fuel exploration or infrastructure. Its continued role in providing capital to the industry directly conflicts with global climate goals and supports the ongoing expansion of fossil fuel operations.
Research Sources
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Companies appear on our exclusion list based on our investment judgment — not because they've done anything illegal. This is a difference of values and opinion, not an accusation of wrongdoing. Exclusion does not constitute a recommendation against investing in any company, and absence from the list does not constitute a recommendation to invest.
This information is provided for educational and transparency purposes only and should not be relied upon as investment advice. Data is drawn from independent watchdogs, NGOs, government registries, and Ethical Capital's ongoing research — see Research Sources for the full list.
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