Debt collection

Community banks will soon have a new way to lend to each other, though it is unclear how eager they might be to participate.

The operators of a fraudulent collection scheme will be banned from the collection business under a settlement with the Federal Trade Commission, resolving charges that they illegally processed more than $5.2 million in payments for phony debts.

Ontario Systems has been acquired by private equity firm Arlington Capital Partners, the two companies announced Wednesday.

Student loan default rates have doubled in the last decade and new research indicates the bulk of the increase is tied to the number of non-traditional borrowers attending two-year colleges and for-profit schools.

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau has temporarily shut down a nationwide firm that promised consumers legal help with debt relief. The firm allegedly took $67 million in upfront fees.

The Better Business Bureau of Central and South Alabama is warning consumers about a collection law firm that allegedly is telling people to pay or go to jail.

Consumer credit default data for August showed small increases in numerous default rates, according to the S&P/Experian Consumer Credit Default Indices released Tuesday.

A growing number of experts agree: Complaints against debt collectors are down, and debt collectors still outrank other industries in complaint resolution.

The Internal Revenue Service’s Automated Collection System lacks key controls for selecting which delinquent tax cases to pursue, according to a new report by the Government Accountability Office.

The banking industry has taken notice of the news that the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. plans to change the way it assesses banks with less than $10 billion in assets for deposit insurance coverage.