Complaints to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau filed against debt collectors declined ten percent from July to August 2015, according to the latest debt collection litigation and complaint statistics report from WebRecon. There were 3,432 complaints in August – down from 3,812 in July. 834 different debt collectors were implicated by the complaints. According
CFPB to Hold Field Hearing on Arbitration in Denver on October 7, 2015
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau has announced that it will be holding a field hearing on arbitration in Denver, Colorado on Wednesday, October 7 at 11:00 a.m. MDT.
The CFPB’s March 10, 2015 Consumer Arbitration Study has come under scrutiny from the financial services industry. Many believe the CFPB has already concluded that there are
CFPB Appoints New Members to the Consumer Advisory Board, Community Bank Advisory Council, and Credit Union Advisory Council
On September 18, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau announced the appointment of new members to the Consumer Advisory Board, Community Bank Advisory Council, and Credit Union Advisory Council.
“These advisory bodies play a crucial role in ensuring that the Bureau is addressing the wide variety of perspectives in the consumer financial marketplace,” said CFPB Director
Better Business Bureau Data Show Sharp Decline in Debt Collection Complaints
The Better Business Bureau recently released data from 2014 regarding the number of complaints received pertaining to registered debt collection agencies. The statistics show a sharp decrease in the number of complaints lodged against debt collection agencies. This number is contrary to data released by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, which show an increase in
Trade Groups’ Comment Letters Urge CFPB to Fix Complaint Database Before Trying to Normalize Data
In response to the CFPB’s request for information (RFI) regarding “best practices” for normalizing the data in the Consumer Complaint Database, issued on June 30, 2015, the American Bankers Association (ABA) submitted a comment letter that argues any efforts made by the CFPB to “normalize” data in its consumer complaints database – that is,
FCC Continues to Expand Its TCPA Reach with E-Faxes
On August 28, the Federal Communications Commission issued a declaratory ruling holding that electronic faxes or “e-faxes” are covered by the Telephone Consumer Protection Act and the Junk Fax Protection Act. E-faxes are communications that originate as a fax, but are converted to electronic files during transmission and received as attachments to emails. This ruling
Illinois Federal Court Holds Statements in Legal Pleadings Can Potentially Violate FDCPA
On August 4, the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois held that legal pleadings can violate the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act.
In Marquez, et al. v. Weinstein, Pinson, P.S., et al., the plaintiffs argued that a law firm and its client violated § 1692e of the FDCPA by including
Leading Trade Group Launching Broad-Ranging Attack on FCC’s Expansive Interpretation of the TCPA
On July 10, the Federal Communications Commission enacted major changes and clarifications to the Telephone Consumer Protection Act of 1991 (“TCPA”). Approved on a contentious 3-2 vote by the FCC commissioners, the FCC released its Declaratory Ruling and Order (FCC 15-72) (“the FCC’s Order”) formally stating its interpretation of numerous provisions of the
Second Circuit: New York City’s Department of Consumer Affairs has Authority to Regulate Law Firms Acting as Debt Collection Agencies
The Second Circuit Court of Appeals recently ruled that New York City’s Department of Consumer Affairs has the authority to regulate law firms’ conduct related to purchasing and collecting consumer debt.
In Eric M. Berman, P.C., et al. v. City of New York, et al., the Second Circuit vacated a 2009 district court ruling
Upsurge in Car Lending Sends Total Auto Debt Above $1 Trillion for First Time
The Federal Reserve Bank of New York released its Household Debt and Credit Report this month. The report, which uses anonymous credit data to generate a nationally representative sample, found that consumers’ overall indebtedness increased $2 billion to $11.9 trillion in the second quarter of 2015.
This number was aided by the increased number of