Daily Digest - December 30, 2025

🎂 Happy Birthday to: Jeremy Cross of International Recovery Systems, Angelo Anzalone of Veritas Legal Plan, Corrie Anderson-Christian of BARR Credit Services, Inc., and Dennis Guetterman of Absolute Resolutions Corporation.

🎉 Congratulations for starting new positions: Ethan Dukes as VP, Portfolio Acquisition at Crown Asset Management, and Shirley Mason as Executive Sales Representative at Salud Revenue Partners.

New Speakers Being Added Daily

Check out ARMTech.live for the growing list of impressive speakers who are going to be in Dallas. This is going to be the must-attend event of the year!

Suit Accuses Debt Buyer, Law Firm of Continuing to Garnish Wages After Judgment Paid in Full

• A debt buyer and collection law firm are facing claims in Idaho they violated the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act for continuing to garnish the wages of an individual who had allegedly paid the debt in full.

• More details here.

• This series is sponsored by WebRecon

A MESSAGE FROM TCN

TODAY’S WEBINAR

Judge Allows FCRA Claims Against Credit Bureaus to Proceed Over Disputed Interest Charge

• A District Court judge in Illinois has denied a motion to dismiss filed by three credit reporting agencies accused of violating the Fair Credit Reporting Act over the inclusion of a disputed finance charge on the plaintiff’s credit card bill and credit report.

• More details here.

The Real Reason Collector Training Doesn’t Stick (and How to Fix It)

• Training a collector is easy. Making sure that training shows up consistently weeks or months later, under pressure, on real calls is where most collection operations struggle.

• More details here.

When Helping Others Hurts: How Financial Obligations Are Straining Households

• Financial strain remains a defining feature of the consumer landscape, but a growing body of data suggests that the pressure many households face is not limited to their own expenses. Even as more consumers struggle to pay their bills, most continue to provide financial support to others, often at significant personal cost.

• More details here.

Plaintiff Ordered to Pay $5k in Fees After No-Showing for Deposition

• In a case being defended by the team at Kaufman Dolowich, a plaintiff who refused to show up for a deposition in a Fair Debt Collection Practices Act case has been ordered to pay more than $5,300 to the attorneys representing the defendant because she “thumbed her nose” at the court, a District Court judge has ruled. The sanctions follow months of discovery disputes and come just weeks after the same judge rejected the plaintiff’s attempt to have herself removed from the case.

• More details here.

WORTH NOTING: Healthcare affordability is reaching a tipping point ... A look at the best advice to help patients deal with medical debts ... The National Consumer Law Center has published a review of its consumer protection efforts in 2025 ... Instead of a resolution for New Year's, ask yourself a question instead ... If you don't want to ask yourself a question, consider using some nudge words to help you achieve your goals in the new year ... The most annoying songs of 2025 ... A look back at who we lost in 2025 ... A handful of AI cheat codes to help you leave your competition in the dust.

Trailer Tuesday, part I

Trailer Tuesday, Part II

Webinar Recap: The Laws Going Into Effect in 2026 That You Need to Know About

As federal oversight continues to shift, state legislatures and attorneys general are accelerating efforts to regulate the credit and collections industry. In this webinar, industry experts broke down the most important legislative and regulatory developments taking shape in 2025 that will impact operations, compliance, and technology strategies in 2026.

While no single “sweeping” law passed this year, panelists emphasized that the volume and scope of state activity should not be underestimated. Medical debt remains the most heavily targeted issue, with lawmakers expanding their focus beyond credit reporting to include garnishment limits, liens, interest, fees, and even restrictions on the sale of medical debt. As one panelist noted, “Even if credit reporting stalls, medical debt still has the bullseye on it.”

Artificial intelligence emerged as the second major theme. States such as Colorado and Utah have already enacted AI-related laws, and more are expected to follow. However, panelists cautioned that many lawmakers still struggle to define AI, increasing the risk of broad or inconsistent rules. Election-year dynamics are also expected to intensify rhetoric and early legislative activity, particularly in traditionally active states like New York, California, Minnesota, and Washington.

The discussion also highlighted growing concerns at the municipal level, where local debt collection rules—such as those proposed in New York City and Washington, DC—can create conflicting compliance obligations. Throughout the conversation, panelists stressed the importance of proactive advocacy, coalition-building, and modernized technology to navigate the increasingly complex regulatory landscape.

🧠 Key Takeaways:

• Prepare for expanded medical debt regulation, including restrictions beyond credit reporting that may impact collections, garnishment, and debt sales.

• Evaluate AI usage and disclosures now, as state and federal frameworks are evolving quickly and will affect operational practices.

• Engage early in advocacy efforts, through trade associations and client partnerships, to influence legislation before it becomes law.

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