August, 2015

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FDCPA Compliance: Acquiring Location Information for Debt Collections

National Service Bureau

The Fair Debt Collection Practices Act was first passed almost 40 years ago to govern the tactics used by debt collection agencies pursuing consumer debt. Whether you’re in the business of collecting your own outstanding accounts receivable, or looking to outsource that work, FDCPA compliance is very important to consider. The head of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (which works with the Federal Trade Commission to enforce consumer protection law) has stated multiple times that debt col

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Washington State Utilities Collections

National Service Bureau

In a previous blog , we discussed some of the laws regarding utility companies and collection agencies , specific to the state of Washington. Here, we’ll go over some of the additional guidelines and restraints that govern a utility company’s ability to collect owed payment. As previously mentioned, gas and water providers are unique in that they are generally authorized to terminate service for delinquent accounts.

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Debt Collection for Deceased Account Holders

National Service Bureau

The debt collection and accounts receivable industries can be understandably awkward for your business to consider at times. This is especially true if your company is service- or relationship-based (rather than selling a consumer product). For instance, you may have a medical private practice, or run an assisted-living facility. In both of these situations, there is often a long-term relationship established between the ‘consumer’ and the provider.

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Phantom Debt Collections: Miscreants in the Industry

National Service Bureau

Like any industry, the debt collection and accounts receivable management industries have some bad apples. There are those organizations who are licensed, professional, effective, and ethical, and then there are those who would take advantage of specialized knowledge or the opportunity to take money unlawfully from debtors. The latter are obviously people and organizations that you would want to avoid should your business need assistance with collecting on delinquent accounts.

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From Complexity to Clarity: Strategies for Effective Compliance and Security Measures

Speaker: Erika R. Bales, Esq.

When we talk about “compliance and security," most companies want to ensure that steps are being taken to protect what they value most – people, data, real or personal property, intellectual property, digital assets, or any other number of other things - and it’s more important than ever that safeguards are in place. Let’s step back and focus on the idea that no matter how complicated the compliance and security regime, it should be able to be distilled down to a checklist.

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The History of Skip Tracing

National Service Bureau

Skip tracing has been around since antiquity. It wasn’t practiced in the same way that it is now, but the basic idea is the same. What is it? In relation to debt collection, skip tracing is a way of “tracing” (finding) a debtor who has “skipped” (left) town in an effort to get out of a debt that is owed. Now you know what we mean when we say it has been around for a while - people have been running away from debts since before sliced bread!

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