The big-bank robo-signing scandal lifted the proverbial rock on the unsavory things financial institutions were doing to …
debt collectors
Enough to Make You Sick: Debt Collectors Hit Up Hospital Patients
Having a medical crisis that lands you in the hospital is stressful enough, but there’s a disturbing new trend that’s so bad, it makes the indignity of wearing a hospital gown pale in comparison. Debt collectors are masquerading …
Feds: Fake Debt Collectors Shook Down 600,000 People and Got More Than $5 Million
Callers from India — often posing as U.S. police officers — called at least 600,000 people across the U.S. about fake debts and took more than $5 million in real money, the Federal Trade Commission announced Wednesday.
Solutions to 9 Puzzling Financial Frustrations
$2.5 Million FTC Settlement Targets Collection of Expired Debt
One of the biggest debt collection companies in the country recently agreed to pay a $2.5 million civil penalty in a settlement with the FTC — part of an escalating effort by the agency to keep tabs on and, when necessary, rein …
Zombie Debt: A Real-Life Horror Story
A person with blemished credit and a history of defaulted debts will have trouble getting a credit card, so an unsolicited credit card application can seem like a lifeline. But some of these cards come with some very sneaky fine …
A Long To-Do List Awaits the CFPB and Its New Director
Now that the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau has a director (albeit one whose appointment could be challenged in court), it has quite the to-do list. At the top, according to newly installed bureau head Richard Cordray, is …
CFPB’s First Move with a Director in Place: Confront ‘Nonbanks’
One day after President Obama appointed Richard Cordray as director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau over the objections of Senate Republicans, the bureau announced the launch of a new “nonbank supervision program.”
99 Money Tips: Save on Concerts, Smartphone Plans, Auto Expenses, DIY Projects, and Debt Collector Confrontations
Also, learn from the mistakes of others: Check out lists of foolish (and wasteful) assumptions consumers make all the time, the dumbest money moves during one’s college days, and incredibly stupid things people do when shopping online.
Is That a Debt Collector Trying to Call Your Cell?
The debt-collection industry has launched a push to modernize the laws that govern how they do business and what they’re allowed to do, and new legislation under consideration in Congress would give them the right to do so if …
Top 10 Consumer Complaints
What’s getting consumers up in arms lately? Check out the list that follows. Working with various state, local, and federal consumer agencies, the Consumer Federation of America has gathered and sifted through more than 252,000 …
Perhaps Debt Collectors Aren’t Scum of the Earth?
They make a living by hounding deadbeats (or presumed deadbeats) to pay off debts. Reports have surfaced that they routinely break the law in pursuit of payoffs. Now, debt collectors are asking for your respect, and even a little …
