Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Live and Online!

Consumerfinance.gov, the new website of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau went live today. As far as government websites go, this one is high end, featuring some really slick design and clear formatting. I suppose that’s one of the benefits of starting from scratch in 2011. As you look at the site you’ll notice that the messaging is clear and consistent (“Cop on the beat!” “Open for Suggestions!”) and it strikes me that the tone is both substantively smart (soliciting suggestions from the public and trying to build a foundation of what the CFPB is and does) and politically smart (Hey, here’s Holly Petraeus!) given her track record, I’d expect nothing less from Elizabeth Warren and her team.

So kudos to the CFPB team for rolling out this sharp looking, easy to use product. I’m confident that it will grow more complex over time, as the Bureau begins to do it’s real, and difficult work, but it seems clear they’re off to a good start, for instance check out this video explaining the CFPB and its work. I’d award points for general slickness, double points for the Closed Captioning, and triple points for the Arrested Development-like feel.