In its first 14 months of operation, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau has not received as many credit card complaints as it anticipated.

Yesterday, the director of the CFPB, Richard Cordray, presented his semi-annual report.

He told Congress, “We have fewer complaints about credit cards than I would have expected.”

The Bureau started taking credit card complaints in July 2011. The CFPB subsequently started fielding complaints for other financial products including mortgages, private student loans, consumer loans and bank accounts.

Cordray reported that the Bureau has received a total of 72,297 complaints in all categories as of September 3.

He cited the card industry’s efforts to improve customer service as well as changes resulting from the 2009 CARD Act as reasons for the fewer number of credit card complaints.