Debt collection refers to the work done to recover balances from credit accounts that are past due. Most commonly, debt collection specifically references third party debt collectors whose clients include banks, credit card issuers and other credit grantors, debt buyers, governments, and any organization that extends credit or owns an account where a balance is due. Collection methods traditionally include phone calls from call center agents, e-mails, and letters, and increasingly, SMS text. If an account remains in arrears after these efforts, the collection agency may contract with a collection attorney to file suit to recover the debt, if the collection agency is not positioned to do so.

See all Topics
File drawer with one folder in focus, labeled "Court Decisions" [Image by creator tashatuvango from AdobeStock]

Quick FDPCA Stats from the iA Case Law Tracker

27 February 2020

 [Image by creator BillionPhotos from AdobeStock]

CFPB's Winter 2020 Supervisory Highlights Briefly Mention Debt Collection

18 February 2020

 [Image by creator LittleGallery from AdobeStock]

Whitepaper on Debt Collection Released by the Conference of State Bank Supervisors

13 February 2020

Clipboard with credit report and pen [Image by creator tashatuvango from AdobeStock]

Judge Cancels $2.5M Jury Verdict Against Lexington Law, Instead Grants Judgment for the CRO

10 February 2020

Clipboard with credit report and pen [Image by creator tashatuvango from AdobeStock]

House of Representatives Passes New Credit Reporting Legislation

30 January 2020

Piggy bank with stethoscope [Image by creator Andrey Popov from AdobeStock]

Idaho Seems Set to Review Legislative Proposal That Would Limit Medical Debt Collection

30 January 2020

Richard Cordray testifying before Congress [Image by creator  from insideARM]

He's Back: Cordray Working with California on Mini-CFPB

29 January 2020

Coin jar with sticker that says "medical" [Image by creator vinnstock from AdobeStock]

New Jersey Bill Proposes Income-Based Repayment for Medical Debt

27 January 2020

Business man yelling into a megaphone [Image by creator motortion from AdobeStock]

Big Week in the 7th Circuit: Settlement Offers, Envelopes, Creditor ID, and More

23 January 2020

File drawer with one folder in focus, labeled "Court Decisions" [Image by creator tashatuvango from AdobeStock]

6th Cir. Holds Consumer Lacks Standing to Assert ‘Meaningful Involvement’ Claim, Not Every Technical Violation is Redressable

23 January 2020

Illustration of a map of united states in blue [Image by creator smarques27 from AdobeStock]

Collection Oversight Expanding from Coast to Coast: Calif.’s Mini-CFPB and N.Y.’s Debt Collector Licensing

16 January 2020

A man in a suit standing on a ladder with binoculars looking over the top of a city under a sunny sky with wispy clouds [Image by creator Kurhan from AdobeStock]

2020: What’s on the Horizon for the Debt Collection Industry

6 January 2020

Photo of dice with letters forming the words "rules and regulations" [Image by creator anyaberkut from AdobeStock]

Supplemental NPRM for Time-Barred Debts Coming "Very Early in 2020"

19 December 2019

Clipboard with credit report and pen [Image by creator tashatuvango from AdobeStock]

Credit Reporting Issues Highlighted in the FTC's and CFPB's Workshop

12 December 2019

 [Image by creator bbourdages from AdobeStock]

Supreme Court: FDCPA Claims Run from Date of Violation, Not from Date of Discovery

11 December 2019

 [Image by creator congratulations from AdobeStock]

Coast President, Everett Stagg, Wins Johnny E. Huntsman Entrepreneurial Success Award

11 December 2019

Blind justice figurine in font of old fashioned books [Image by creator Kaspars Grinvalds from AdobeStock]

7th Cir. Reverses Dismissal of FDCPA Claim Involving Statement That 1099C Form May Be Filed

10 December 2019

 [Image by creator Cla78 from AdobeStock]

District of Maryland Sanctions Plaintiff and Her Counsel for Abuse of FDCPA and FCRA

9 December 2019

Referee indicating timeout [Image by creator sixdays from AdobeStock]

E.D.N.Y. Calls Out Abuse of FDCPA, Confirms 1692g Requirements Don't Apply to Subsequent Letters

5 December 2019

Photo of short boxer preparing to hit a very tall boxer who seems unconcerned [Image by creator olly from AdobeStock]

Settlement Reveals How Expensive the TCPA is Compared to Other Consumer Statutes Like the FDCPA

3 December 2019