The Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA) was enacted in 1977 to protect consumers from abusive, unfair, and deceptive practices by third-party debt collectors. The law details when and how a collector may contact a debtor. The government enforcer of the law has historically been the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), but some regulatory duties may be shared with the Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection housed within the Federal Reserve, created in 2010. The FDCPA is a strict civil liability law, which means that a consumer need not prove actual damages in order to claim statutory damages of up to $1,000 per violation plus reasonable attorney fees.

See all Topics
Arms of 5 business people holding up different colored large "quote" marks [Image by creator Sergey Nivens from AdobeStock]

Creditor Rights Law Firms Well-Represented on CFPB’s Small Business Review Panel

29 August 2016

Small Business Representative Shares Her Thoughts About Yesterday’s Debt Collection SBREFA Hearing

26 August 2016

CFPB Debt Collection Proposals Would Create Problematic New Substantiation Standard

25 August 2016

Woman holding glasses in a thinking pose [Image by creator styxclick from AdobeStock]

The “Least Sophisticated Debtor” Is Getting More Sophisticated, And Has An Improved Memory Too

22 August 2016

Industry Gets Favorable Ruling in Debt Collection Envelope Case

18 August 2016

Court Affirms Dismissal of Crawford Case for FDCPA ‘Time-Barred’ Proof of Claim, Case Was Itself ‘Time-Barred’

11 August 2016

7th Cir. Deepens Split on FDCPA Liability for ‘Time-Barred’ Claims

11 August 2016

FDCPA Safe Harbor Buried within CFPB Mortgage Rules

11 August 2016

Small statue of lady justice [Image by creator sebra from AdobeStock]

Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals Rules - Failure to Specifically State “This Communication is From a Debt Collector” is Not FDCPA Violation

9 August 2016

 [Image by creator James Steidl from AdobeStock]

FDCPA Case Law Review for July 2016

4 August 2016

Small statue of lady justice [Image by creator sebra from AdobeStock]

Attorney “Meaningful Involvement” Case Sent Back to District Court

3 August 2016

 [Image by creator Krasimira Nevenova from AdobeStock]

insideARM Perspective On CFPB Outline of Proposed Debt Collection Rules – Information Integrity

2 August 2016

Arms of 5 business people holding up different colored large "quote" marks [Image by creator Sergey Nivens from AdobeStock]

15 ARM Industry Experts React to CFPB Outline of Proposed Debt Collection Rules

2 August 2016

Photo of dice with letters forming the words "rules and regulations" [Image by creator anyaberkut from AdobeStock]

insideARM Perspective on CFPB Outline of Proposed Debt Collection Rules – Communication Part 2

1 August 2016

What Collectors Really Need to Know About the CFPB’s Proposed Rules

1 August 2016

 [Image by creator Krasimira Nevenova from AdobeStock]

insideARM Perspective on CFPB Outline of Proposed Debt Collection Rules - Communication Part 1

28 July 2016

 [Image by creator kentoh from AdobeStock]

CFPB Outlines Debt Collection Rulemaking Proposals

28 July 2016

Ninth Circuit Rules That Law Firm Collector Can’t Rely On Validation Notice From Previous Collector

21 July 2016

FDCPA Victory in Class Action Letter Case: What It Means for the Industry

18 July 2016

Small statue of lady justice [Image by creator sebra from AdobeStock]

FDCPA Case Law Review for June 2016

14 July 2016