Sat.Dec 28, 2024 - Fri.Jan 03, 2025

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Credit Card Defaults Soaring, Highlighting Consumer Financial Strain in 2025

Account Recovery

Defaults on credit card debt have surged to their highest levels since the 2008 financial crisis, signaling worsening financial conditions for lower-income consumers amid persistent inflation and elevated interest rates. By the numbers: The big picture: Consumers are feeling the pinch as higher balances and borrowing costs erode their financial stability: Between the lines: The pandemic-era surge in savings and consumer spending gave credit card issuers confidence to extend credit to riskier bor

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Statement of CFPB Director Rohit Chopra, Member, FDIC Board of Directors, on Developments Regarding Large Asset Manager Ownership of Banks

Consumer Finance

Statement of CFPB Director Rohit Chopra on developments regarding large asset manager ownership of banks.

Banks 63
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Nearly half of credit card users are carrying debt — it may take months, or years, to pay off

Collection Industry News

Many Americans are starting 2025 a little worse off than before, at least when it comes tocredit card debt. Almost half of cardholders 48% now carry debt from month to month, according to a new report byBankrate. Thats up from 44% at the start of 2024. Of those carrying balances, 53% have been in debt for at least a year. Roughly 47% of borrowers said they carry a balance due to an unexpected or emergency expense, most commonly medical bills or car and home repairs.

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Strengthening B2B Client Relationships in the New Year

Enterprise Recovery

It's the perfect time for B2B sales professionals to reevaluate client relationships. Trust and loyalty will go a long way in staying in front of mind when your clients are making major budget decisions. If you're not already planning to connect with your clients this month, let this be a reminder. Strengthening client relationships is the perfect resolution for B2B sales professionals in the new year.

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Your Accounting Expertise Will Only Get You So Far: The New Way To Lead

Speaker: Victor C. Barnes, CPA, MBA

In the climb from contributor to leader, the rules quietly change. But if you’re aiming for the summit, the air gets thinner, and what got you here won’t be enough to get you to the top. 🗻 What made you successful early in your finance career—technical accuracy, sharp analysis, flawless execution—won’t be what carries you to the next level. The higher you go, the more your effectiveness depends on how you connect, adapt, and communicate.

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AI in the Spotlight: Oregon AG Sets the Stage for Regulating Artificial Intelligence

Account Recovery

Artificial Intelligence is revolutionizing industries, including credit and collections, but contrary to popular opinion, it’s far from unregulated. Ellen Rosenblum, who just retired as the attorney general of Oregon, issued guidance in late December clarifying that existing consumer protection, privacy, and anti-discrimination laws apply to AI, potentially reshaping how companies deploy this transformative technology.

More Trending

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Judge Awards Plaintiff 25% of Requested Attorney’s Fees in Settled FDCPA Case

Account Recovery

A District Court judge in Minnesota has awarded 25% of the attorney’s fees sought by the plaintiff in a Fair Debt Collection Practices Act case, ruling the plaintiff’s request unreasonable for a number of reasons. The judge awarded $11,566.63 in fees, significantly less than the $46,163.50 requested by the plaintiff’s attorneys. The background: The case stemmed from attempts to collect on a 2007 mortgage loan.

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CFPB Targets Workplace Communications by Debt Collectors in Blog Post

Account Recovery

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau is back with another blog post warning consumers about unfair debt collection practices, this time surrounding being contacted while at work. This follows a post from a couple of weeks ago about junk fees that can be assessed by debt collectors. The big picture: Debt collectors unlawfully contacting consumers at work, or their employers, remains a critical concern for regulators.

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New Laws Proposed, Passed, and Ready to Go Into Effect

Account Recovery

As the calendar gets set to turn to a new year, a number of new laws are scheduled to take effect. Here is a summary of what collection operations need to be prepared for starting as soon as January 1. [EDITOR’S NOTE: Sign up for a webinar today, December 30, to hear more on The Laws Going Into Effect in 2025 That You Need to Know About. Click here to register.

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Compliance Digest – December 30

Account Recovery

I’m thrilled to announce that Bedard Law Group is the new sponsor for the Compliance Digest. Bedard Law Group, P.C. – Compliance Support – Defense Litigation – Nationwide Complaint Management Turnkey Speech Analytics. And Our New BLG360 Program Your Low Monthly Retainer Compliance Solution. Visit www.bedardlawgroup.com, email John H.

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The Hidden Science Behind Why Finance Teams Resist Change—And How to Fix It

Speaker: Kim Beynon, CPA, CGMA, PMP

The most overlooked, yet most critical, element of transformation is preparing people for change. Automation and AI aren't just technical upgrades, they’re cultural shifts which can challenge identities. That’s why change management isn’t a side project—it’s the foundation. In finance, where precision and process rule, navigating change can feel especially disruptive.

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Getting to Know Mara Morgan of Account Recovery Specialist Inc.

Account Recovery

I am thrilled to announce that the Getting to Know series will be sponsored by TEC Services Group in 2024. TEC Services Group is the leading technology and professional services firm in the credit collections industry offering both leading industry solutions along with unrivaled, unbiased, and experienced support. TEC is now extending its services by offering proven, industry-leading technology solutions alongside of our Professional Services to help Clients feel confident in their technology de

Education 130
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Mortgage demand dives nearly 22% to end 2024

Collection Industry News

A sharp rise in mortgage interest rates toward the end of December took its toll on mortgage demand, hitting just as the housing market entered its typically slowest stretch of the year. Total mortgage application volume for the two weeks ended Dec. 27, 2024, dropped 21.9% compared with the week before that period, according to the Mortgage Bankers Associations seasonally adjusted index.

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Suit Accuses Defendant of Violating FDCPA By Failing to Report Debt as Disputed

Account Recovery

EDITORS NOTE: This article is part of a series that is sponsored by WebRecon. WebRecon identifies serial plaintiffs lurking in your database BEFORE you contact them and expose yourself to a likely lawsuit. Protect your company from as many as one in three new consumer lawsuits by scrubbing your consumers through WebRecon first. Want to learn more? Call (855) WEB-RECON or email admin@webrecon.net today!

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Daily Digest – January 2. Getting to Know Mara Morgan of Account Recovery Specialist Inc.; Autopay Disruption Leads Judge to Deny MJOP in FCRA Case

Account Recovery

Getting to Know Mara Morgan of Account Recovery Specialist Inc. Autopay Disruption Leads Judge to Deny MJOP in FCRA Case Credit Card Defaults Soaring, Highlighting Consumer Financial Strain in 2025 iWallet Introduces Voice AI for Payments, Aims to Revolutionize Digital Transactions WORTH NOTING: Here is a list of 25 fun and practical ideas to use as resolutions for 2025 … Babies being born this year are being born into a new generation … How much ransomware costs companies in terms o

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Agent Tooling: Connecting AI to Your Tools, Systems & Data

Speaker: Alex Salazar, CEO & Co-Founder @ Arcade | Nate Barbettini, Founding Engineer @ Arcade | Tony Karrer, Founder & CTO @ Aggregage

There’s a lot of noise surrounding the ability of AI agents to connect to your tools, systems and data. But building an AI application into a reliable, secure workflow agent isn’t as simple as plugging in an API. As an engineering leader, it can be challenging to make sense of this evolving landscape, but agent tooling provides such high value that it’s critical we figure out how to move forward.

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Autopay Disruption Leads Judge to Deny MJOP in FCRA Case

Account Recovery

A District Court judge in Illinois has denied a defendant’s motion for judgment on the pleadings in a Fair Credit Reporting Act case that stemmed from the defendant disabling the autopay feature on the plaintiff’s account, after it had been used to make 95 monthly payments in a row. The background: The plaintiff opened a credit card with the defendant in 2015 and established autopay for his account.

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iWallet Introduces Voice AI for Payments, Aims to Revolutionize Digital Transactions

Account Recovery

iWallet, a payment solutions provider, has launched what it says is the first PCI-compliant telephone order system that uses voice AI instead of traditional keypad entry, targeting businesses looking to modernize their payment acceptance processes. EDITOR’S NOTE: If you’ve read this far, you are likely interested in how technology is re-shaping debt collections.

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Collector Facing FDCPA Class-Action For Not Making Interest Disclosure in MVN

Account Recovery

EDITORS NOTE: This article is part of a series that is sponsored by WebRecon. WebRecon identifies serial plaintiffs lurking in your database BEFORE you contact them and expose yourself to a likely lawsuit. Protect your company from as many as one in three new consumer lawsuits by scrubbing your consumers through WebRecon first. Want to learn more? Call (855) WEB-RECON or email admin@webrecon.net today!

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A Thank You, From Me to You

Account Recovery

We’ve reached the last day on the calendar once again. We’ve made another trip around the sun. We’ve all gotten a year older. We’ve loved, we’ve lost. We’ve celebrated together and mourned together. We’ve made new friends, learned new things, made new memories. I want to take a minute and thank you for allowing me to part of your professional, and in some cases, personal lives this year.

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Future-Proof Your Firm: Smarter Tech for Stronger Returns & Simpler Workflows

Speaker: Joe Wroblewski, Senior Sales Engineer

Is your tech stack working for you—or are you working for it ? 🤖 In today’s world of automation and AI, technology should simplify workflows—not add complexity. Seamless integration and interconnectivity are key to maximizing productivity, optimizing workflows, and improving collaboration. Join expert Joe Wroblewski for a practical and insightful session on how you can build a smarter, more connected tech stack that drives efficiency and long-term success!

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Daily Digest – December 31. Collector Facing FDCPA Class-Action For Not Making Interest Disclosure in MVN; Washington State Appeals Court Upholds Attorney Fee Award in Debt Collection Case

Account Recovery

Collector Facing FDCPA Class-Action For Not Making Interest Disclosure in MVN Washington State Appeals Court Upholds Attorney Fee Award in Debt Collection Case 2024: A Year in Review A Thank You, From Me to You WORTH NOTING: What makes da Vinci’s “The Last Supper” such an important work of art … Explaining the tradition of a New Year’s Eve ball drop … If you choose a middle seat, you sit in the middle seat … A list of interesting facts, such as the impac

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HHS Issues Proposed Cybersecurity Rule to Amend HIPAA

Account Recovery

With more than 167 million individuals affected by healthcare data breaches in 2023 alone, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is taking action to address increasing cyberattacks on healthcare systems. On Friday, it announced a proposed rule aimed at enhancing the HIPAA Security Rule, compelling healthcare entities to bolster protections for electronic protected health information (ePHI).

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Daily Digest – January 3. Suit Accuses Defendant of Violating FDCPA By Failing to Report Debt as Disputed; Industry Pros Revisit 2024 Predictions

Account Recovery

Suit Accuses Defendant of Violating FDCPA By Failing to Report Debt as Disputed Industry Pros Revisit 2024 Predictions CFPB Targets Workplace Communications by Debt Collectors in Blog Post AI in the Spotlight: Oregon AG Sets the Stage for Regulating Artificial Intelligence WORTH NOTING: How to say “no” and stop being a people pleaser … A flight attendant reveals the five things you should never do on a plane … Here are 10 boundaries that therapists think you should set in

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Industry Pros Revisit 2024 Predictions

Account Recovery

As part of the festivities to mark the end of one calendar year and the start of a new one, I ask different professionals from across the accounts receivable management industry for their predictions for the coming year what do they think is going to happen, what kind of year is it going to be for collection operations, etc. But thats not where the fun ends.

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Protect What Matters: Rethinking Finance Ops In A Digital World

Speaker: Cheryl J. Muldrew-McMurtry

Distributed finance teams are rewriting how the back-office runs, and attackers are taking notes. Disconnected workflows, process blind spots, and rising cyber threats are more than just growing pains—they’re liabilities. The challenge isn’t just going remote. It’s building resilient systems that protect accuracy, control, and speed across every transaction and touchpoint.

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Daily Digest – December 30. Judge Awards Plaintiff 25% of Requested Attorney’s Fees in Settled FDCPA Case; HHS Issues Proposed Cybersecurity Rule to Amend HIPAA

Account Recovery

Judge Awards Plaintiff 25% of Requested Attorneys Fees in Settled FDCPA Case HHS Issues Proposed Cybersecurity Rule to Amend HIPAA New Laws Proposed, Passed, and Ready to Go Into Effect Compliance Digest December 30 WORTH NOTING: A look back on 2024 via photos of memorable moments … Did the worst play in NFL history happen yesterday? … Whales live a lot longer than we initially thought they did … Reactions and tributes following the death of President Jimmy Carter yesterday &#

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2024: A Year in Review

Account Recovery

A lot happened in 2024 and it can be difficult to remember it all. Take this walk down memory lane by revisiting the most popular posts from each month of the year January January 2: Inconvenient Time/Channel Email Complaint Volume Increasing. I have written about this type of case before, but given the volume of new complaints that are being filed, I think it bears mentioning again because it appears that plaintiffs attorneys and consumers are not going to stop filing these kinds of suits anyt