Collections Industry

It's been a big week for the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB). Newly proposed debt collection rules that may update the 1977 Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA) could allow debt collectors to send unlimited texts and emails to consumers.

In April, the Fourth Circuit struck down the TCPA Debt Exemption that permitted automated calls to cellphones when the calls were for the collection of government-backed debt such as a student loan. The ruling called the exemption "unconstitutional" and nearly resulted in the invalidation of the entire TCPA (Telephone Consumer Protection Act).