Balch’s Consumer Finance Compass: How Standing Can Make or Break Certification for Class Action Lawsuits in Debt Collection
2024 Credit Reporting Review: Impactful Changes and Future Forecast — FCRA Focus Podcast
2024 in Review: Major Debt Collection Trends and 2025 Outlook — The Consumer Finance Podcast
Navigating New York City's New Debt Collection Rules — The Consumer Finance Podcast
The CFPB Highlights Alleged Deceptive Debt Collection Practices
Podcast - The CFPB's Effort to Remove Medical Debt from Credit Reports
Navigating Hot Topics in Consumer Finance: Litigation Trends, Regulatory Changes, and Medical Debt Collection – The Consumer Finance Podcast
FTC and CFPB Focus on Medical, Rental Debt Collection Practices
Navigating FCRA and Debt Collection With Special Guest Bridgeforce's Michelle Macartney — FCRA Focus Podcast
Resolving FCRA Disputes With e-OSCAR: Insights from Joel Strickland — FCRA Focus Podcast
Year in Review and a Look Ahead: Navigating the Debt Collection Landscape — The Consumer Finance Podcast
Abuse Discovery Practices by the Government
State AG Pulse | Action By MN AG Ellison Could Ripple Through Debt Servicing Industry
CFPB Advisory Opinion on Time-barred Debt Collection - The Consumer Finance Podcast
Announcing Troutman Pepper's New Payments Pros Podcast! - The Consumer Finance Podcast
A Discussion with Nacha on Proposed Rulemaking Regarding Fraud - Payments Pros: The Payments Law Podcast
Unlawful Debt Collection Claims - RICO Report Podcast
Keeping Up With the Bureau Episode 4: Hot Topics in Collections: Fees, Reg F Landscape, and What’s Next - The Consumer Finance Podcast
Fair Lending 101 for Debt Collectors - The Consumer Finance Podcast
Credit Eco to Go Podcast: Competing for the Attention of the Consumer
On July 14, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) secured a court order aimed at halting allegedly deceptive practices against seven companies and three individuals operating the “Accelerated Debt” program. The defendants...more
In a case of first impression, the Fifth Circuit in Reyes v. Equifax Information Systems, L.L.C., joined the First, Seventh, Ninth, and Tenth Circuits in affirming the District Court for the Eastern District of Texas’s...more
A debt collector company, Blackstone Legal, its associated companies and its owners, Ryan and Mitchell Evans, are facing a permanent ban from the debt collection business as a result of an FTC lawsuit charging that they...more
Beware of a new scam targeting Michigan businesses and individuals. The scam uses fake mailings containing “Annual Statement Past Due” notices. These notices arrive in plain white envelopes, bear no return address, and...more
On May 22, Illinois House Bill 3352 passed the Illinois legislature and now awaits Governor JB Pritzker’s signature. This bill amends the Illinois Collection Agency Act to provide an individual a way to avoid liability for a...more
The FTC has recently taken action against two student loan debt relief companies and their owners....more
The “Sovereign Citizen Movement” is a term used to describe the growing number of individuals who deny the authority and / or legitimacy of the U.S. government. While the “SovCit” movement originated decades ago, there...more
Alleging that Global Circulation, Inc. (GCI) threatened consumers with jail time, lawsuits, and wage garnishments to pressure them into paying debts they did not owe, the FTC entered into a stipulated order with GCI and its...more
Recently, the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California granted the FTC’s motion resulting in a permanent injunction against defendants involved in an allegedly fraudulent student loan debt relief operation....more
On May 1, 2025, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) announced that it had filed an amended complaint and entered into a proposed final order with a debt collector and its owner, resolving allegations that the company engaged...more
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) recently issued its annual report analyzing the consumer complaints it received in 2024. The CFPB collects complaints through its website, phone calls, and mail....more
Under the government Bounce Back Loan Scheme (BBLS), small businesses struggling due to the pandemic could obtain a fully government-secured loan of up to £50,000 with no repayments required for the first 12 months....more
For example, you make a commercial real estate loan and record your deed of trust. The borrower pays you for a time but then defaults. You tried loan forbearance and modification, but it was unsuccessful. The borrower falls...more
Many state Attorneys General are celebrating Consumer Protection Week this week by releasing their top consumer complaint categories, summarizing their past year’s successes, and/or providing consumer education. As the AG...more
Lenders get into a groove with originating loans with existing and new borrowers. So often, the closing comes and goes, and the monthly payments commence without any trouble. But then a borrower comes along who seeks to...more
On January 22, New York Attorney General Letitia James announced a $1 billion settlement with a now defunct cash advance firm and its officers. The settlement resolves allegations that the firm and its officers repeatedly...more
To keep you informed of recent activities, below are several of the most significant federal and state events that have influenced the Consumer Financial Services industry over the past week....more
On January 22, New York Attorney General Letitia James announced a significant settlement with Yellowstone Capital of New Jersey and its affiliated companies over allegations of illegal high-interest loans disguised as...more
Over the last 15 years, private equity (“PE”) firms have invested hundreds of billions of dollars in the healthcare sector, infiltrating every corner of the industry from emergency rooms and labs to billing providers and...more
When a debtor files for bankruptcy, creditors often fear their claims will be wiped away. However, under Section 523 of the Bankruptcy Code, certain debts are categorized as non-dischargeable, meaning the debtor cannot...more
Bankruptcy offers debtors an opportunity for a "fresh start," the primary draw for many individuals seeking to unburden themselves of their debt. A bankruptcy discharge relieves a debtor of their legal obligation to repay...more
On March 29, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB or Bureau) released its Consumer Response Annual Report, providing a high-level overview of the 1,657,600 consumer complaints received by the Bureau from January 1...more
The following document provides a monthly roundup summarizing enforcement actions, guidance, rulemakings, and other public statements from the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and the Federal Trade Commission regarding...more
News accounts of instances of stolen identity in which identity thieves incur debts in the names of innocent consumers are common. Given the structure of the consumer credit industry, it is difficult for consumers to know...more
In an unusually blunt decision, the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed a district court’s decision to dismiss various claims brought by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) for “violating the district court’s...more