Interested in Collection Laws news and analysis?

News Headlines

• Collection Agency Responds to Settlement Announcement from Cuomo 7/28/10
• NY AG Settles Case Against Debt Collector for $125,000 7/27/10
• Convoke Systems Raises $5.5 Million in Funding; Plans to Expand Services to ARM Industry 7/26/10
• Finance Bill Creates Power Sharing, FDCPA Reform Dilemma in Gov’t 7/22/10
• Collection Agency Owner Pleas Guilty in Medicaid Fraud Scam 7/20/10
• ABA Issues Detailed Analysis of Financial Regulatory Reform Bill 7/14/10
• FTC Commissioner Presents Debt Collection Report to ARM Industry 7/13/10
• New Colorado Collection Agency Requirements Misguided, Say ARM Leaders 7/9/10
• FDCPA Rulemaking Authority Part of Financial Reform Bill 7/7/10
• State AG Sues Debt Collector for Ignoring Collection Ban 7/6/10
• FDCPA Plaintiff Attorney Suspended from Practicing Law by State 7/2/10
• Judge Throws Out State AG Case Against Debt Buyer 6/30/10
• FDCPA and Other Consumer Rights Lawsuit Statistics, June 1-15, 2010 6/27/10
• Legal Experts Indict Flaws in Anti-ARM Report 6/23/10
• Collection Letterhead Can be an FDCPA Violation, Judge Rules 6/18/10
• State Amendments on Court Fees Would Hurt Large Debt Collection Law Firms 6/17/10
• Collection Law Firm Victorious Against State in Supreme Court Case 6/15/10
• Collectors Receive Clarification on New York City ARM Rules 6/14/10
• FTC Head to Address ARM Industry, Take Questions 6/11/10
• West Virginia AG Announces $75,000 Settlement with Collection Agency 6/10/10
• FDCPA Lawsuits Against Collectors Averaging More than 800 Per Month 6/9/10
• Asset Acceptance Capital Corp. Secures Amended Credit Facility 6/7/10
• West Virginia Attorney General Sues Two ARM Companies 6/4/10
• NY AG Cuomo Files Lawsuit to Shut Down Another Debt Collector 6/2/10
• Jury Hands Down $1.5 million Verdict Against Debt Collection Agency 6/1/10
• New Report Exposes Systematic Debt Collection Abuses 5/26/10
• Colorado AG Kicks Debt Collection Agency Out of State 5/24/10
• CMS Proposed Rules to Receive Health IT Incentive Payments Too Inflexible, Says 53 Health Care Organizations 5/21/10
• Senate Version of Financial Reform Bill Still Holds Danger for ARM Industry 5/17/10
• Former Collections Supervisor Indicted on Fraud Charges 5/12/10
• Federal Regulatory Reform Hits ARM Industry on Three Fronts 5/10/10
• New York AG Sues Buffalo Lawyer in Debt Collection Probe 5/7/10
• Asset Acceptance Stays in the Black in the First Quarter; Discloses FTC Action 4/30/10
• Financial Reform Blocked in Senate...For Now 4/27/10
• Appeals Court Ruling in Debt Buying FDCPA Case “All Over the Map” 4/22/10
• U.S. Supreme Court Rules Against Debt Collector in FDCPA Case 4/22/10
• Appeals Court Sides with Collection Lawyer in Garnishment Case 4/20/10
• House Passes ACA-Supported Gramm-Leach-Bliley Reforms 4/15/10
• Collection Agency Reaches $400,000 Settlement with Ohio AG 4/13/10
• FTC Complaints Against Debt Collectors Don't Tell Whole Story: ACA 4/6/10
• ARM Industry Not Likely to Take Massive Charges on Health Reform Like AT&T, Others 4/1/10
• Technology is Shaping the Words Collectors Use 3/31/10
• ARM Professionals Share Thoughts on Health Care Reform Impact 3/24/10
• Collection Agency Unveils New Strategic Plan, Vision for ARM Industry 3/23/10
• Accounts Receivables Management Industry Calls On Congress to Keep FTC As Exclusive Regulator 3/19/10
• ARM Leaders Discuss New Consumer Financial Protection Proposal 3/18/10
• Civil Suits Against ARM Companies Soar in 2009: U.S. Courts 3/17/10
• Exploring Rising Complaints Against Debt Collectors 3/5/10
• Collection Agency Settles FTC Credit Reporting Charges for $1 million 3/4/10
• Experts Say New Credit Card Rules will Significantly Impact ARM Industry 3/3/10

Analysis Headlines

• Understanding Court Costs and Suit Fees in Collection Litigation
  Collecting a creditor's money as quickly and inexpensively as possible is the primary goal of every professional collection firm. There are times, however, when amicable collection attempts fail.
• ARM Industry Legislative Primer
  Our insideARM.com Senior Editor outlines the major issues currently before congress that have the potential to change the way credit & collection professionals do business.
• Understanding the Shift Toward Consumers in the ARM Legal Landscape
  ARM leaders would be well-advised to understand the current legal and regulatory environments governing the industry. There have been major changes recently and even larger ones may be to come.
• Rebuilding America...One Credit Score at a Time
  By placing into effect strict new controls over the accuracy and integrity of data reported to the credit bureaus, FACTA 312 is expected to produce substantial challenges for all data furnishers in 2010.
• The Collections Quandary: Tripped by a Cell Phone No More
  
• How the New Red Flag Rules Impact Your Business
  
• $28 Million FTC Settlement with Bear Stearns/EMC Mortgage has Significant Impact on ARM Industry
  
• Healthcare Without a Net
  
• Legislating Healthcare Funding and its Effects on ARM
  
• HIPAA and Medical Collections: Staying Compliant Worth the Hassle
  “If anything, it’s made my job easier, much the way the FDCPA made our jobs easier. That doesn’t make me too popular – I think a lot of my colleagues aren’t happy with too many rules. But the policies put me on solid ground.”
• Supreme Court eDiscovery Ruling Impacts Data Management Strategies for Businesses
  A recent Supreme Court eDiscovery Ruling has impact across all business sectors; however, it is particularly important for industries like ARM that are prone to litigation, consumer watch-dog groups, and regulatory scrutiny.
• From Foti to Davis: Third Party Disclosures in the Answering Machine Age
  
• The FDCPA Paradox of Targeted Voice Messaging Technologies
  
• Dealing with a Regulatory Complaint
  
• Predictions for 2007; What’s Next for ARM?
  Private equity was a major driver of ARM M&A activity in 2006, participating in a whopping 80% of the dollars that changed hands. How will the environment look in 2007? And how will all of that private equity money impact the industry?
• 20 Sure Fire Ways to Lose Money, and Get Sued
  There are a lot of ways to screw up in debt purchasing. Here are 20 of them.
• Unsecured Creditors – Challenges after Bankruptcy Reform
  Bankruptcy reform is sure to have an impact on the debt purchasing industry for years to come. But what are the key points that debt buyers need to look at?
• Using the Law with Collections Efforts for Increased Recovery
  The ongoing pursuit of collecting debt has prompted an increased desire and need to streamline time-intensive tasks, and to enable collections agencies, law firms and legal departments to improve productivity with existing resources to recover more debt as quickly as possible.
• The Talk about Certification and Process Management
  

  Agencies are dealing with a rapidly changing environment of ever increasing competitiveness; fast growth; greater client requirements; new laws; innovative changes in telephony and technology. The need to compete, while controlling/ reducing costs and staying abreast of the latest in a growing industry, is pressuring accounts receivable management organizations to find better, more disciplined approaches to managing their businesses.

• Frivolous Lawsuits
  Consumers are turning to litigation in droves to get out of paying debts. And often, the lawsuits have very little merit.

Research Headlines

• Kaulkin Report 7 Excerpt - Bankruptcy Reform 
• Kaulkin Report 6th Edition - Legal Framework 

Press Releases

• insideARM.com Appoints Forward Thinking Editorial Board 7/28/10
• ACA International Announces New Strategic Plan 7/27/10
• Ferry, Joseph & Pearce Partner Elected President of the National Association of Chapter 13 Trustees 7/27/10
• New Financial Regulatory Law to Impact the Debt Collection Industry 7/23/10
• State AG Reaches Settlement with Payday Lenders; Agreement Nets $305,000 in Refunds 7/23/10
• National Consumer Law Center Releases Report on Debt Collection Abuses 7/16/10
• Unlicensed Utah Collection Agency Settles with Idaho Department of Finance 7/15/10
• FDCPA and Other Consumer Rights Lawsuit Statistics, June 16-30 7/9/10
• DialConnection Partners with PossibleNOW to Provide Wireless List Management Services to Collection Organizations 7/9/10
• Kaulkin Media Appoints Stephanie Eidelman President to Drive Change 7/8/10
• FTC and States Poised to Crackdown on Rogue Debt Settlement Firms 7/1/10
• TransUnion Offers Two Options to Help Industry Meet Risk-Based Pricing Requirements 6/30/10
• Congress Passes Major Financial Reform Bill, ABA Remains Staunchly Opposed 6/25/10
• ACA Mounts Challenge, Gathers Allies Against Proposed FCC TCPA Rule 6/18/10
• NY Statewide Coalition Urges Legislature to Curb ARM Industry Abuses 6/17/10
• Noble Systems Responds to Proposed TCPA Changes 6/9/10
• Countrywide/Bank of America Will Pay $108 Million for Overcharging Struggling Homeowners 6/8/10
• FTC Extends Enforcement Deadline for Identity Theft Red Flags Rule 6/1/10
• FDCPA and Other Consumer Rights Lawsuit Statistics for May 1-15 5/26/10
• Failure to Include License Number in Collection Notice does not Violate FDCPA 5/19/10
• Maryland Clarifies Licensing Requirements for Debt Purchasers 5/18/10
• Oregon AG Bans Nation's Largest Debt Settlement Company from Operating in State 5/12/10
• ACA International Calls on Members to Visit Congress En Masse 5/11/10
• The Commercial Law League of America Selects New Board of Governors at Spring Meeting 5/10/10
• FDCPA and Other Consumer Rights Lawsuit Statistics for April 16-30 5/7/10
• Merlin Mitigating Collection Agency Risk With Litigant Data 5/5/10
• ARM Industry Continues Efforts to Clarify New York City Rules 5/4/10
• Debt Collection Bill Giving Florida AG More Authority Heads to Governor for Signature 4/29/10
• LiveVox Announces 100% Call Recording with Dynamic Retrieval 4/28/10
• FDCPA and Other Consumer Rights Lawsuit Statistics for April 1-15 4/27/10
• Debt Settlement Industry Heads To Congress to Debate the Legitimacy of Debt Settlement 4/27/10
• Obama Warns that Without Change the Financial Crisis will be Repeated 4/23/10
• Significant Actions Taken at CAC’s 2010 Legal and Legislative Conference 4/23/10
• FTC Testifies About Continuing Efforts to Protect Consumers from Deceptive Debt Relief Scams 4/23/10
• ABA Letter Details Negative Impact of Financial Reform Bill on Community Banks 4/20/10
• WV AG Sues to Stop Credit Collections Defense Network's Deceptive Debt Settlement Business 4/20/10
• Mass. AG Shuts Down Payday Lender; Halts Collection Activities 4/16/10
• NYC Mayor Bloomberg Signs Legislation Enhancing the Regulation of Process Servers 4/15/10
• Monthly FDCPA Litigation Statistics for March 4/12/10
• FTC Charges Payday Lender in Debt Collection Scheme 4/8/10
• FDCPA and Other Consumer Rights Lawsuit Statistics for March 16-31 4/8/10
• FTC Issues 2010 Fair Debt Collection Practices Report to Congress 4/5/10
• Credit Card Pitchman Permanently Banned from Telemarketing 3/30/10
• Colorado AG Warns Consumers About Spike in Debt Collection Complaints 3/30/10
• Dave & Buster's Settles FTC Charges it Failed to Protect Consumers' Information 3/26/10
• Credit and Collection Industry Complaint Resolution Exceeds National Average 3/23/10
• FDCPA and Other Consumer Rights Lawsuit Statistics for First Half of March 2010 3/23/10
• Lemberg & Associates Files Class Action Suit Against Predatory Debt Collection Practices 3/18/10
• Atlanta Debt Collection Law firm Receives Prestigous Recognition 3/12/10
• The National List of Attorneys Announces CreditorsRightsLawFirms.com 3/10/10