The Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA) was enacted in 1977 to protect consumers from abusive, unfair, and deceptive practices by third-party debt collectors. The law details when and how a collector may contact a debtor. The government enforcer of the law has historically been the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), but some regulatory duties may be shared with the Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection housed within the Federal Reserve, created in 2010. The FDCPA is a strict civil liability law, which means that a consumer need not prove actual damages in order to claim statutory damages of up to $1,000 per violation plus reasonable attorney fees.

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Utilizing Your Collection System to Support and Document your Compliance Strategy

22 January 2014

Landmark FDCPA Victories Finally Limit "Least Sophisticated Consumer" Standard

16 January 2014

New York Times Explores CFPB’s Next Moves, Including Debt Collection

13 January 2014

insideARM.com Launches Debt Collector-Focused FDCPA Resources Page

6 January 2014

Appeals Court Rules Against ARM Firm in Collection Fee FDCPA Suit

3 January 2014

No Debt Collection Charges for Accretive Health in Settlement with FTC

2 January 2014

State Proposal Targets Mortgage Deficiency Debt Collection

31 December 2013

New State Debt Collection Law Unintentionally Closes Check Program

30 December 2013

Could the CFPB Help Stem the Tidal Wave of TCPA Lawsuits?

20 December 2013

Strict Collection Laws Reduce Credit Access According to Fed Paper

19 December 2013

The CFPB's Proposed Rulemaking - Takeaways from the First 1,000 Comments

19 December 2013

Sale of Bad Debt by Utility Companies: Proceed with Care

18 December 2013

CFPB and FTC Team Up on Amicus Brief in FDCPA Case

13 December 2013

BillingTree to Host Series of Payment Compliance Webinars

12 December 2013

CFPB: No "Crisis" in Debt Collection, But Problems Need Correcting

10 December 2013

Free Webinar Examines the Compliance Landscape for 2014

3 December 2013

New York AG in $165,000 Settlement with Buffalo Collection Agency Owner

22 November 2013

Consumer Relations Consortium Prepares to Respond to CFPB’s Rulemaking Notice

21 November 2013

insideARM.com Launches Comprehensive CFPB Resources Page for ARM Industry

20 November 2013

Changes to the FDCPA That Will Redefine Debt Collection

20 November 2013