RESEARCH ARCHIVE

Analysis for receivables decisions (Page 24)

Browse practical perspectives on portfolio acquisition, collections operations, market data, and regulation.

Debt Collection Operations During an Economic Downturn

When economic pressure rises, collection teams do not have to choose between a blanket pause and more aggressive outreach. A measured approach emphasizes accurate account data, clear and authorized payment options, controlled contact, and usable response channels. This article explains the U.S. federal Regulation F baseline for covered debt collectors and the issues that still require jurisdiction-specific review.

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February 27, 2020

Business Continuity Planning for Collection Operations During Disruptions

Collection operations can remain useful during a disruption by protecting essential work, using reliable status information, and treating compliance as a release condition rather than an afterthought. This framework explains how creditors, collection agencies, debt buyers, and counsel can prepare work queues, people, systems, and communications without creating false urgency for consumers.

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October 31, 2019

Accounts Uncollectible: Accounting, Tax, and Charge-Offs

An uncollectible account is a receivable a business estimates or determines will not be collected in full. This guide separates financial reporting, federal bad-debt tax treatment, charge-offs, debt transfers, and the consumer protections that may apply when a consumer debt is collected.

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May 2, 2019

What to Do When a Collector Seeks a Debt You Paid

A collection contact about a paid account calls for prompt documentation and a clear written response, not a payment made in haste. This guide explains the federal validation, communication, and credit-reporting steps that may apply, along with important limits on those protections.

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May 1, 2019

How to Handle a Debt Collection Agency Contact

A debt collection contact calls for careful verification, timely recordkeeping, and a clear understanding of the choices available. This guide explains key U.S. federal protections, validation notices, communication limits, payment discussions, and the importance of responding to court papers.

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April 21, 2019

Buying Debt Portfolios: Due Diligence Before Collection

Buying a debt portfolio is an acquisition and compliance decision, not simply a purchase at a discount. A sound review identifies the account type, transfer records, data quality, operating model, and consumer-protection rules that may apply before any collection activity begins. For consumer accounts, federal rules are only part of the analysis: a buyer’s legal role and the applicable state law can materially change the requirements.

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April 14, 2019

How to Find Out Who Owns or Collects a Debt

If you are contacted about an unfamiliar or older account, identify the party seeking payment before making a decision. Compare your records, the original creditor's response, any validation notice, and the account information on your credit reports, while keeping state-law and timing issues in view.

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April 6, 2019

Managing “Scam Likely” Call Labels for Collection Agencies

A “Scam Likely” or similar call label is generally a carrier or analytics signal, not a legal finding about an agency. This guide explains what caller-ID authentication can do, how agencies can investigate a label responsibly, and why consumer-protection obligations must remain central to any remediation effort.

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December 1, 2018

Debt Buyer Settlements: Ownership, Authority, and Consumer Rights

Debt buyers may own a past-due account, but the individual or firm contacting a consumer may have limited authority to negotiate. This guide explains how to use validation information, document a settlement, address credit-report errors, and recognize state-specific legal and tax issues.

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July 9, 2018

OCC Consumer Debt-Sale Guidance: Scope, Duties, and Limits

The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency’s consumer debt-sale guidance explains how OCC-supervised banks should manage risk when selling charged-off consumer accounts to debt buyers. It is supervisory policy for those banks, not a complete statement of consumer rights or a blanket prohibition on debt sales; the applicable federal and state rules depend on the actor, account, and facts.

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