A debt buyer is a firm that purchases debt from another company, usually a creditor or bank, at a deeply discounted rate. The debt purchaser then attempts to collect the debt through its own operations or through the use of a third-party debt collection agency. Some debt buyers may sell all or part of the debt to another party at a profit. Most debt buyers are small and privately held, though there is a handful of publicly traded debt buying companies. Recent changes in law and legal rulings have seen the debt buying industry regulated like collection agencies, or servicers of debt, rather than creditors, or owners of the debt. Debt buyers must adhere to the FDCPA.

See all Topics

Executive Change: JH Capital Group Announces Garon Robinett as Vice President of Business Development

9 July 2015

JPMorgan Chase to Pay $125M to Settle Debt Collection Investigations

8 July 2015

Maine Changes Its State Fair Debt Collection Practices Act

1 July 2015

12 New FAQs from the NYDFS Offer Some Clarification for Debt Collectors and Debt Buyers

16 June 2015

What's Behind the Surge in M&A in the U.S. ARM Industry?

16 June 2015

Mike Cushing joins Icon Equities as Chief Operating Officer

9 June 2015

TD Bank to Buy Nordstrom $2.2 Billion U.S. Credit Card Portfolio

27 May 2015

Jury Sends Message to Debt Buyer: Get Your Facts, And Your Process, Straight

15 May 2015

District of Columbia Council Seeks to Tighten Rules for Debt Buyers

13 May 2015

Encore Capital Group Announces Strong First Quarter 2015

12 May 2015

First Quarter 2015 Earnings for PRA Group Rise Sharply

7 May 2015

Two Positive Decisions for the Industry Regarding Chapter 13 Cases

5 May 2015

Debate Over North Carolina Debt Buyer Bill Gets Personal, and Nasty

30 April 2015

Federal Judge Sides with Collection Agency and Debt Buyer in Letter Class Action

28 April 2015

FTC Launching Series of Live "Dialogues" with Debt Collection Industry; New York Up First

24 April 2015

Consumer Attorney Says CFPB Regulation Should be All About the Money

23 April 2015

Executive Change: Ashley Hancock Joins RDS Local Government Team

23 April 2015

ARM-U Reconfigured as Free Online Collection Compliance and Operations Event

20 April 2015

TransUnion Partners with Global Debt Registry to Offer Registry Services for Debt Buyers and Financial Institutions

20 April 2015

Executive Change: PRA Group Welcomes Deborah Cassidy as Chief Information Officer

20 April 2015