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
CFPB Complaints

Mulvaney to Move CFPB's Consumer Response; ACA Puts Complaints in Perspective

5 February 2018

Image of a mobile phone that says "Fintech" next to lots of white financial icons that appear to be floating in the air [Image by creator zapp2photo from AdobeStock]

Congress Holds Fintech Hearing; 77 Million in Collections Left Out of Discussion

1 February 2018

How Events of 2017 Will Shape The Consumer Financial Services Industry in 2018

30 January 2018

 [Image by creator dpyancy from AdobeStock]

7th Cir. Holds Debt Collector Violated FDCPA Despite Using Miller Safe Harbor Language

29 January 2018

 [Image by creator Krasimira Nevenova from AdobeStock]

Mulvaney Suggests Debt Collection Rules May Be Coming

24 January 2018

A person pressing a red "full disclosure" button on a keyboard with white keys [Image by creator momius from AdobeStock]

E.D.N.Y. Decides “Settlement May Have Tax Consequences” is an Acceptable 1099C Disclosure

22 January 2018

Committee Meets Today on Bill to Exempt Lawyers from FDCPA

17 January 2018

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

FDCPA Caselaw Review for December 2017

17 January 2018

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

Perfect Storm Coalesces as Division of Banks, Debt Buyers and Consumer Lawyers Await Decision in Massachusetts

16 January 2018

Small statue of lady justice [Image by creator sebra from AdobeStock]

Debt Collection Activity Alone Does Not a Debt Collector Make, According to Northern District of Illinois

10 January 2018

Photo of courthouse building with "judicial" written on it [Image by creator Natalia Bratslavsky from AdobeStock]

Judge Was Not Kind to Collection Agency Plaintiffs in RICO Case Decision

9 January 2018

Collection Boot Camp: The Red Flags Rule and Debt Collection (sponsored)

8 January 2018

Crumpled pieces of paper in white, green blue, red and yellow printed with question marks and the words "wrong" and "right" [Image by creator Stepan Popov from AdobeStock]

Bringing Common Sense to Collections

4 January 2018

 [Image by creator danijelala from AdobeStock]

Thriving in Third Party Collections: An Interview with Richard and Tsylia Hoffman (sponsored)

21 December 2017

E.D.N.Y. Rips Into Plaintiffs’ Bar on Reverse Avila Claims

21 December 2017

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

FDCPA Caselaw Review for November 2017

21 December 2017

 [Image by creator Amaranto from AdobeStock]

The Passing of an Industry Icon

20 December 2017

CFPB Withdraws 2nd Debt Collection Disclosure Survey Proposal

18 December 2017

Cover image for Convenience Fees Benchmark report with image of person looking at a laptop and holding a credit card [Image by creator insideARM from ]

Over 3/4ths of Industry No Longer Charges Convenience Fees, Study Finds

14 December 2017

FTC Bans Three Scammers From Posing as Debt Collectors

7 December 2017