The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) is proposing a number of changes to the debt collection process and industry. I am positive the same debt collection industry will fight back or try to lobby to neuter the CFPB because of these suggestions. It certainly is easier to scare and fool people into paying for debts …
Question: Dear Steve, I lost my job and I cant go back to work because of a stroke Im trying to get disability Im 60. I want to make good on this BUT THE CREDIT CARD COMPANY WONT TAKE ANYTHING LESS THAN 100 AND THEY ALREADY TOOK 100 BUT SAY i STILL OWE OVER 800 …
An Account From a Real-Life Collector I arrive at work with a long list of people to call, knowing that if all goes well, I may call 125 people today. Today, I’ll hear stories of businesses gone sour, failed marriages and terrible illnesses. I’ll hear outright lies: “The check’s in the mail,” or “The stamp …
Complaints about debt collectors number in the ginormous every year. The volume is somewhat understandable. I mean… how many other professions do you spend nearly all of your time trying to get someone to do something they cannot or will not do? Let’s face it, getting people to pay bills they likely can no longer …
While much of the debt collection world is straightforward and, quite honestly, a little boring, some people in the industry treat it like a free-for-all. “There are widespread attempts to add charges to debts that aren’t legal. Excess interest is something we’ve encountered quite frequently,” said Daniel Edelman, consumer law attorney, founder and partner at …
Are the days of debt collectors sitting in cubicles “dialing for dollars” numbered? Debt collection, like many sectors of the economy, is starting to go digital. So if the idea of talking with a debt collector automatically puts your stomach in knots, you may be in for a pleasant surprise: In the not-too-distant future, your …
Today, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) announced an enforcement action against a nationwide debt collection operation and its chief executive officer for using deceptive threats of criminal prosecution and jail time in order to intimidate consumers into paying debts for bounced checks. The company also misled consumers into believing that they must enroll in …
A Texas woman says she has been dealing with a debt collection fiasco for months, all because of a clerical error. The woman, identified in the local news report by only her first name, Yolanda, said she received a debt collection bill for $153,000 in September and has been struggling ever since to figure out why …
Question: Dear Steve, I’m getting really tired of being hassled for an old debt I don’t owe. I keep trying to explain to the debt collectors that I don’t owe the bill they keep trying to say I need to pay. What can I do? Mary Answer: Dear Mary, Being chased for a debt you …
I recently had procedure at hospital. Insurance paid their part. I have my part to three different people. I tried making arrangements with hospital of $100/month – they said that’s not enough for it to be paid in 6 months. I said what’s the deal with 6 months? She replied that if I don’t have …