Debt collection

Americans had 314 million credit card accounts during the first three months of the year, the highest number since the fourth quarter of 2008, according to a report released Wednesday.

The Council of Better Business Bureaus released data showing that collection agencies received 21,576 complaints from consumers last year, the fifth most complained about financial sector.

Consumer borrowing rose by $19.1 billion in July, pushing the total to a record $3.45 trillion, according to the Federal Reserve.

Prestige Financial Services, a privately held subprime auto lender, is looking to spark growth by offering credit directly to consumers over the Internet.

California’s Court of Appeal has blocked a class-action lawsuit against against collection agency GC Services.

A partnership between collection agency ConServe in Fairport, N.Y. and Rochester Rehabilitation in Rochester, N.Y. is aiming to help employ people with disadvantages.

WASHINGTON — The Justice Department is continuing to find cases of lenders steering minority borrowers into higher-cost loans three years after the agency forced several large banks into landmark settlements cracking down on the practice, according to a top DOJ official.

A mortgage relief services company and its owner agreed Thursday to settle allegations that they illegally charged homeowners an upfront fee for help they promised but never provided.

The San Francisco company hopes to lower its costs by driving out human intervention as much as possible. To get there, it has made the counterintuitive decision to locate its operations staff in one of the country’s most expensive cities.

A recent poll shows that since the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau was established in 2011, consumers don’t feel it has improved their lives but some believe the regulator should have more oversight.