Debt collectors are regulated by the FTC on the federal level. At the state level, attorneys general are typically responsible for enforcing state and federal laws. A few local governments also separately regulate debt collectors. The laws that govern the ARM industry are civil, meaning that liability is almost always monetary. So a state’s attorney general will not file criminal charges against a debt collector accused of violating the law, rather, he/she will sue for damages. Collection laws include federal and state statutes that govern the proper operation of companies and personnel that work in the debt collection industry. The most comprehensive collection law is the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA). Other federal laws that collectors must follow include the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA), the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) and the data security requirements of the Gramm–Leach–Bliley Act (GLBA).
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Washington Post Offers Interesting Profile of New CFPB Enforcement Chief
30 March 2011
State Bill Would Toughen Standards on Collection Agencies
28 March 2011
State AGs Taking Prominent Role in Debt Collection Law Reform
18 March 2011
Massachusetts AG Coakley Files Amended Debt Collection Regulations
14 March 2011
FTC to Examine New Technology in Debt Collection
11 March 2011
Three Lessons from the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau
11 February 2011
The System Is Not Broken; It Is Out of Balance
8 February 2011
Consumers Union Issues Scathing Report on ARM Industry
3 February 2011
State Lawmakers Expected to Target Debt Collection Industry
27 January 2011
U.S. Supreme Court Denies Petition for Writ of Certiorari in ARM Case Pintos
18 January 2011
RICO Case Against ARM Firms Proceeds as Industry Watches
13 January 2011
Have You Hugged Your Regulator Lately?
10 January 2011
FTC Red Flags Rule Clarified
7 January 2011
FDCPA and Other Consumer Lawsuit Statistics, December 1-15, 2010
31 December 2010
FTC Submits Comments to Fed on Making Fair Lending Law Stronger; Announces Increase in Maximum Charge for Extra Copies of Credit Reports
20 December 2010
Lawsuits Against Debt Collectors Drop in Second Half of November
15 December 2010
FTC Charges Marketers with Making Unsubstantiated Claims that They Could Eliminate Consumers' Debt
3 December 2010
At FTC's Request, Court Shutters International Credit Card Debt Reduction Operation
16 November 2010
A Movement is Growing in the ARM Industry, and its Seeds are Discontent
11 November 2010
FDCPA and Other Consumer Lawsuit Statistics, October 16-31
10 November 2010