Daily Digest - August 20, 2026

🎂 Happy Birthday: Jim van Dyke of TransUnion.

🎉Congratulations for starting new positions: Ben Miller as Director of Employee Relations at Resurgent Capital Services, Bart Lloyd as Senior Attorney at Weltman, Weinberg & Reis Co., Jackie Qualle as Attorney at Qualle Legal PLLC, Thuanny Hamilton as Regulatory Licensing Manager at CastleWise Insurance & Licensing, and Derek Scheskie as Senior Director of Strategic Operations at R.O. Hammer Companies.

New Digital Communications Report

The industry is optimistic. Placements are expected to climb. Consumers, it turns out, are more ready for digital than the businesses serving them.

2️⃣0️⃣ Days and Counting!

It doesn’t matter how much you have used AI already. It doesn’t matter how much you know or don’t know about AI. It doesn’t matter if you don’t want to code or build things with AI. What matters is that AI is going to impact how we all work. Either through our direct interactions with it or the technology that we are using or how our colleagues, co-workers, and companies are using it. It will only continue to expand.

These are all reasons why you need to be at brainstorm. Can you run the risk, personally and professionally, of falling further behind those who are going to be there?

🏆 NEW CONTEST! 🧑‍🎨

TCN is going to give away a free T-shirt to all brainstorm attendees and they are excited to be hosting a contest to choose the shirt design. So use your imagination or your best AI tool and email me ([email protected]) your shirt designs. Submissions will be voted on and the winning design will be put on the shirts given out to brainstorm attendees.

Deadline for submission is Friday, August 21. 

Getting to Know Michelle Macartney of Bridgeforce

• Michelle Macartney jokes that she got her start in the industry at age 10, a claim that only makes sense once you learn she has logged 41 years and still lights up at the field's thorniest problems. In this installment of our Getting to Know series, sponsored by TEC Services Group, Bridgeforce's Managing Partner and Chief Compliance Officer traces her path from back room bank operations to deep credit reporting expertise, names the leader she learns something from nearly every week, and reveals the very Type A weekend ritual she swears by to unwind. (Hint: it involves an inventory and a corkscrew.)

• More details here.

• This series is sponsored by TEC Services Group

A MESSAGE FROM TCN

TODAY’S WEBINAR

UPCOMING WEBINARS

Plaintiff Wins Dismissal in FDCPA Class Action by Undercutting Her Own Standing to Escape Arbitration

• After nearly eight years of litigation, a class action plaintiff finally got her FDCPA case tossed by arguing that she herself never had the right to bring it. The Third Circuit agreed, but not before confronting a pointed question from the defense: should a plaintiff be allowed to plead her way into federal court, then plead her way out to dodge an arbitration order she never wanted? How Judge Roth answered, and why she rejected the "gamesmanship" label, rewards a close read.

• More details here.

Appeals Court Says BK Stay Lapsed When Debtor Neither Reaffirmed Nor Redeemed in Time

• A Chapter 7 debtor filed her motion to redeem a 2017 Cadillac Escalade on the 45th day, the last day the Bankruptcy Code allows. It still was not enough. The Fifth Circuit explains why filing at the buzzer did not save her SUV, and what happens to a vehicle the moment the automatic stay quietly expires. A cautionary lesson on why a good faith attempt does not satisfy a hard statutory deadline.

• More details here.

FTC Puts Businesses on Notice Over Personalized Pricing, Opens Comment Period

• The FTC has drawn a line on using consumers' personal data to set individualized prices, and while it stopped short of banning the practice, it spelled out exactly when doing so could trigger enforcement under Section 5. Collectors leaning on algorithms and AI to shape settlement offers and discounts will want to note what the Commission now expects businesses to disclose, and the unsettling scenarios it singled out as red flags. The comment window is open.

• More details here.

Sanders to Introduce Bill Halting Social Security Seizures for Student Loan Defaulters

• With more than 9 million Americans in default on federal student loans and roughly 1 in 4 borrowers at risk of losing wages or benefits to seizure, Sen. Bernie Sanders is preparing legislation to take one collection tool off the table entirely. Here is what the Stop Social Security Garnishment Act of 2026 would change, who is cosponsoring it, and how it lines up against the Education Department's own recent moves on involuntary collections.

• More details here.

Delinquencies, AI Adoption, and Dry Powder Driving M&A Activity: CAS

• Credit card balances 90 or more days past due have climbed to a level not seen since 2011, and according to a new Corporate Advisory Solutions report, that is only one of the forces fueling a seller friendly dealmaking market across ARM, healthcare RCM, and contact centers. The report breaks down which firms are commanding valuation premiums, where AI adoption still trails the hype, and why CAS expects the deal pace to hold into 2027.

• More details here.

Weltman, Weinberg & Reis Announces Acquisition of Nathan & Nathan, Expanding Presence Across the Southeast

• Weltman, Weinberg & Reis is planting a bigger flag in the Southeast, acquiring a firm its managing partner describes as a longtime friend as much as a peer. The deal adds established operations across four states and, both sides say, unites two practices built on a shared culture. Here is what the combination means for clients and how far Weltman's reach now extends.

• More details here

WORTH NOTING: Turns out that people tend to be impatient when it comes to viewing medical test results. Who knew? ... Van Halen was on to something all those years ago ... Most wedding guests are making financial sacrifices to be with you on your special day ... How to outsmart AI when it is tracking your workday ... Consumers are feeling a little more confident about their financial outlooks, according to WalletHub ... We are now at a point where people can gamble on the Little League World Series ... Publix is getting rid of its express checkout lanes ... Why do companies care which days you work from home?

Top 10 Thursday, part I

Top 10 Thursday, Part II

Webinar Recap: AI Negotiation: Should Algorithms Settle Offers & Payment Plans?

The session, sponsored by CSS Impact, examined whether artificial intelligence should be empowered to negotiate settlements and payment plans in the credit and collections space. Panelists from fintech, collections, and consumer advocacy emphasized both the efficiency gains and the ethical challenges of algorithmic negotiation. While AI offers speed, consistency, and scalability, concerns remain about fairness, regulatory compliance, and consumer trust. As one panelist noted, “AI can streamline negotiations, but empathy cannot be coded.”

The discussion highlighted hybrid approaches where AI proposes repayment options while human agents provide oversight and empathy. This balance was seen as critical to ensuring compliance and maintaining consumer confidence. Panelists also pointed to the importance of transparency, stressing that consumers must understand when and how AI is involved in their repayment journey.

Looking ahead, AI is expected to play a larger role in compliance monitoring and forecasting repayment behavior. However, adoption must be strategic, with pilot programs and clear communication to avoid alienating consumers.

🧠 Key Takeaways:

• Evaluate AI solutions: Assess current negotiation tools and explore pilot programs to measure efficiency and consumer response.

• Prioritize compliance: Ensure AI systems are designed with regulatory frameworks and consumer protection laws in mind.

• Build trust through transparency: Clearly communicate AI’s role in repayment discussions to foster consumer confidence.

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