Debt collection

A N.Y. car dealership charged with the unlawful sale of credit repair and identity theft prevention services agreed Thursday to settle allegations brought by state regulators.

Western Union will pay $8.5 million to settle allegations that it violated the Telephone Consumer Protection Act by sending unsolicited text messages asking consumers to opt in to receive regular updates from the company.

A Federal Trade Commission leader opened the agency's third debt collection dialogue event in Atlanta on Wednesday by highlighting the agency’s aggressive approach to collection enforcement.

Experian released findings Thursday from its sixth annual State of Credit study, showing that the national credit score increased by three points over the last year and by five points since 2013.

Online payday lender Integrity Advance is being sued by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau for allegedly deceiving consumers about its loan costs.

The Federal Trade Commission has approved final amendments to its Telemarketing Sales Rule, including a change aimed at protecting consumers from fraud by prohibiting four discrete types of payment methods favored by con artists and scammers.

A new report based on research from the Harvard Joint Center for Housing Studies indicates student loans bet has a potentially strong impact on consumers seeking to move from renting to buying a home. It also could delay their ability to build savings for a mortgage down payment.

The economy grew at a slower pace in the third quarter but consumer spending levels remain solid, according to the Federal Reserve Bank of New York’s latest Economy in a Snapshot report.

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's consumer complaint database is riddled with errors and distrusted by some of its own employees, according to internal documents and interviews with current and former agency officials.

There was mixed news released Tuesday concerning homeowners facing financial difficulties.