Daily Digest - April 22, 2026

🎂Happy Birthday to: Amy Canaday of Credit Service Company.

🎉Congratulations for starting new positions: Connie Stimpson as Director, Revenue Strategies at R3 Dynamics.

Logo Madness!

It’s time to crown the best logo in the industry. Full bracket available here so you can track the competition. Click on the link underneath the logo to choose your winner. Voting is open for 24 hours.

We’ve got ourselves a tie! Time for a rematch—these two go head‑to‑head once more…

CFPB Final Rule Eliminates Disparate Impact Standard Under ECOA

• The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau has finalized a rule that reshapes how fair lending laws will be enforced, eliminating the use of disparate impact analysis under the Equal Credit Opportunity Act and narrowing several long-standing protections tied to credit access.

• More details here.

A MESSAGE FROM TCN

TODAY’S WEBINAR

UPCOMING WEBINARS

Judge Dismisses FCRA Claims Against Credit Union Over Charged Off Auto Loan Reporting

• Anyone who has been around this industry long enough knows that dealing with self-represented plaintiffs can be an adventure. When you layer in the fact that the plaintiff in this Fair Credit Reporting Act case also identifies himself as the founder of of a developing artificial intelligence company, you can imagine what that means, which is probably why a Magistrate Court judge in Oregon needed 44 pages to grant a credit union-defendant’s motion to dismiss claims it violated the statute by reporting information about a defaulted auto loan to the credit reporting agencies.

• More details here.

Workers’ Comp Angle Derails MTD in FDCPA Suit

• A District Court judge in New York has denied a defendant’s motion to dismiss claims it violated the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, ruling that the defendant “grossly mischaracterized” the plaintiff’s alleged injury — paying a medical debt that was incurred as a result of being treated after being injured at work. The decision centers on a relatively small dollar amount but highlights a much larger issue for collectors: the risks associated with pursuing medical debts that may be subject to workers’ compensation protections.

• More details here.

Healthcare CFOs Sound the Alarm on Margins, Medicaid Cuts, and Rising Bad Debt Risk

• Hospital and health system finances are entering a new phase that should have the attention of anyone collecting on medical debt. A new survey of CFOs shows that 72% of hospitals are operating on margins of 2% or less, while leaders brace for Medicaid cuts, more uninsured patients, and continued cost pressure. For many providers, this is no longer a temporary squeeze but a structural shift, and the decisions they are making now around cost control, patient flow, and revenue capture will directly impact how and when accounts move into collections.

• More details here.

39 Companies Seeking Collection Talent

• Creditors, collectors, debt buyers, collection law firms, vendors … every different type of company in the credit and collection industry is looking for someone. If you are looking for a job, or looking for competitive intelligence, or looking for leverage, check out the nearly 40 companies that are hiring right now.

• More details here.

WORTH NOTING: When to buy in bulk and when it pays off ... Remember The Great Resignation? Looks like those days are over ... More than $200 million in unpaid medical debts are being forgiven in Florida ... A lot of people are going "no contact" with their families over different issues ... Which movie based on a book is the best of all time? ... Sunglasses that cost less than $20 but make you feel like a million bucks ... A list of the world's most influential people, according to Time magazine ... A study that details how AI technology responds under pressure is causing anxiety.

Wisdom Wednesday, part I

Wisdom Wednesday, Part II

Webinar Recap: Testing What Works: Scaling Outreach Experiments with Modern Tech

The recent webinar, hosted by Dennis Barton of The Barton Law Group and sponsored by Fiber by Clerkie, explored how modern technology is reshaping outreach in debt collection. Panelists Brandon Huisman (State Collection Service), Jason Chang (Harris & Harris), John Watson (Cedar Hill Advisors), and Jackson White (Fiber by Clerkie) shared practical insights on leveraging AI, automation, and structured testing to improve consumer engagement while maintaining compliance.

Key themes included the importance of simplicity in testing, the need for rigorous measurement frameworks, and the role of modern platforms in centralizing fragmented tech stacks. As Brandon Huisman noted, “One size fits all outreach flops hard,” underscoring the necessity of segmentation and tailored strategies. Jason Chang emphasized that testing should be iterative: “So long as you’re doing better than yesterday, you’re compounding your learning.” John Watson added that organizations must normalize KPIs to avoid driving engagement at unsustainable costs.

Fiber by Clerkie showcased its platform as a “single source of truth,” enabling agencies to orchestrate campaigns across channels with real‑time analytics. This integration reduces lag, improves measurement accuracy, and empowers operations teams to design workflows without heavy reliance on developers.

🧠 Key Takeaways:

• Simplify and prioritize tests: Focus on one variable at a time, starting with segmentation and channels before moving to granular timing or messaging.

• Measure with rigor: Establish control groups and normalize KPIs to balance engagement with efficiency and cost.

• Invest in modern tech stacks: Centralize outreach, analytics, and compliance workflows to reduce fragmentation and enable faster, more accurate testing.

This session highlighted that sustainable progress in collections comes from combining disciplined experimentation with modern technology. Agencies, creditors, and fintechs that embrace iterative testing and centralized platforms will be better positioned to drive results while safeguarding compliance.

Did you know you can get full access to all of my past webinars, along with transcripts and summaries of each, for only $29/month? Sign up to be a premium subscriber today!

The Daily Digest is sponsored by TCN