Debt collection

Foreclosure filings increased in the third quarter but were down on a monthly basis, according to RealtyTrac’s latest Foreclosure Market Report.

Minnesota Attorney General Lori Swanson's office on Wednesday sued Texas-based Apex Merchant Group LLC for using "bait and switch" tactics against small businesses.

Legal and Debt Recovery, an Orange, Calif.-based collection agency, and the agency's legal counsel, D. Scott Carruthers, have been issued a cease-and-desist order by the Idaho Department of Finance.

Kirit Patel, the owner of a company that purported to be a collection agency, has pleaded guilty to four counts of mail fraud and wire fraud after allegedly bilking consumers out of more than $5 million.

ACA International, the largest trade group for the credit and collection industry, issued a statement Tuesday regarding the regulation of debt collection attorneys’ litigation activities.

Aaron's Inc., the nation's second-largest chain of rent-to-own appliance and furniture stores, will pay $28.4 million to settle allegations it installed spy software on rental computers.

More than 1,000 people jailed in Spokane County, Wash. for failing to pay court-ordered fines in the past six years will benefit from a class-action lawsuit settlement valued at $350,000.

DBA International announced Wednesday it is accepting applications from collection law firms and third-party collection agencies that wish to earn the association's professional certification designation.

Nearly 800,000 Home Equity Lines of Credit were originated nationwide in a recent 12-month period, the highest mark since the 12 months ending June 2009, according to a new report.

Pennsylvania-based collection agency Commonwealth Financial Systems Inc. owes more than $2 million to the state's Department of Revenue.

WASHINGTON — The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau is raising questions about the policies and data banks use to vet consumers before allowing them to open a checking account.

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit has issued an unpublished opinion in Lynn v. Monarch Recovery Management Inc. that supports a ruling that the agency violated the Telephone Consumer Protection Act.

AT&T Mobility LLC will pay $105 million to settle multi-agency charges it illegally billed third-party charges to consumers nationwide, federal authorities announced Wednesday.

The company attempted to claim tribal jurisdiction to avoid enforcement action.

Americans showed more caution in taking on non-mortgage debt in August, according to the latest consumer borrowing report from the Federal Reserve.

Congress should amend the bankruptcy code to permit borrowers to discharge student loan debt if their net monthly income is insufficient.

While year-to-date auto loan growth rates have slowed compared to last year, totals for new credit and the number of new loans originated for auto purchases are at record highest, according to a new report.

A sweepstakes operator that took millions of dollars from consumers throughout the U.S. and dozens of other countries - including Canada, the United Kingdom, France and Japan - is banned from the prize promotion business under a settlement with the Federal Trade Commission.

The gradual improvement in Americans' financial situations has led to a record low level of delinquency rates.

The order is part of a settlement with the company's owner in an unrelated fraudulent payment processing case.