Debt collection

More than 4,800 consumers were defrauded by National Card Monitor LLC, a telemarketing operation that promised to lower consumers’ credit card interest rates for an advance fee.

An Ohio county is reviewing whether to sell its delinquent properties as a bundle through a tax lien sale with the successful bidder then pursuing the debts.

Equifax Inc. disclosed in its quarterly report that it has received a request for information from the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau as part of an investigation into whether consumer reporting agencies are violating the law.

Home value declines experienced during the recession have been, or are close to being, erased in nearly 20% of metro housing markets nationwide, according to Zillow Real Estate Market Reports first quarter assessment.

Complaints filed against debt collectors with the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau have increased, or held steady, in all but one month since the bureau began accepting them last July, according to an analysis.

Legislation introduced in the Senate to amend the Fair Credit Reporting Act is designed to protect consumers from inaccurate credit reports and credit scores.

Louisiana legislators Wednesday advanced a proposal to limit the number of payday loans a borrower can take out each year, a concession of sorts after a stronger measure failed.

Talking to consumers about the impact of their borrowing and payment decisions on their credit reports and credit scores is a critical part of helping them make solid financial decisions. But legal restrictions may ultimately deter companies from engaging in those types of discussions.

The Santa Clara (Calif.) County Department of Revenue, which acts as the county's central collection agency, reported Tuesday that 1,060 people are the potential owners of nearly $244,000 in unclaimed money.

Midland, Texas is the latest in a growing number of cities proposing an ordinance that affects payday lenders, or credit access businesses.

A new Gallup poll finds that 62% of Americans prefer saving their money compared to 34% who enjoy spending, a percentage gap that is one of the widest since the poll began in 2001.

Idaho, South Dakota and Wisconsin have the nation’s highest interest rates for payday loans, according to a report released by the Pew Charitable Trusts.

U.S. hospitals increasingly are reviewing patients' credit scores. The idea is to identify patients needing counseling options about payment plans or charity care but the information also helps with debt collections.

Sallie Mae's contract with the Education Department to collect payments on federal student loans could be at risk as a result of a federal probe looking at whether the lender cheated military borrowers.

The head of an operation that allowed telemarketers to make robocalls offering credit card services, hide Caller ID information and call numbers on the National Do Not Call Registry is banned under a settlement with the federal government.

Scammers in Maine are calling residents and telling them they owe money to the state's Bureau of Motor Vehicles.

A report on student loan debt suggests that borrowing by people in graduate and professional degree programs is rising and could total a larger-than-expected portion of the nation’s $1 trillion in total outstanding federal student loans.

A federal judge approved a class-action settlement against a law firm and collection agency for alleged Fair Debt Collection Practices Act violations.

The shut down comes three years after a Canadian company purchased the business.

A federal worker union is battling a bipartisan push in Congress to restart the Internal Revenue Service's controversial use of private collection agencies to pursue tax debts.