Daily Digest - January 13, 2026

🎂 Happy belated Birthday: Jimmy Chebat of Zizo Technologies and Mitch Drimmer of Axela.

🎉Congratulations for starting new positions: LaTasha Dunn as Sr. Manager, Final Debt Collections at NRG Energy, Neil Boudreaux as Director of Sales ta Accelerated Claims Inc. (ACI), and Taylor Stone as Senior Account Executive at SuccessKPI.

It’s not too late. Come and be part of the biggest and best ARMTech yet!

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!

🔔 There is still time to make a submission in the first annual ARMTech Coding Contest. Check it out here.

⬆️ Voting is now open to help decide which companies are going to participate in the Innovation Stage next week at ARMTech. Take a look at what companies think sets them apart and weigh in.

Collection Operation Facing TCPA Class Action Over Wrong Number Calls

• A collection operation is facing a class-action lawsuit in Alabama federal court for allegedly violating the Telephone Consumer Protection Act by placing three wrong-number calls to an individual which used an artificial or pre-recorded voice.

• More details here.

• This series is sponsored by WebRecon

A MESSAGE FROM TCN

TODAY’S WEBINAR

UPCOMING WEBINARS

Idaho Supreme Court Rejects Challenge to Medical Debt Collection Rules

• A state law in Idaho that requires medical providers give individuals adequate notice before handing an account off for collections is constitutional, the Idaho Supreme Court ruled yesterday in a case that started when a healthcare provider sued an individual for an unpaid medical debt. The decision affirms that the Idaho Patient Act can lawfully impose notice and waiting period requirements on medical creditors before they pursue lawsuits, report debts to credit bureaus, or take other extraordinary collection actions.

• More details here.

New Allegations Sink Jurisdiction Challenge in Autodialer Lawsuit

• A District Court judge in Oklahoma has denied a renewed motion to dismiss in a Telephone Consumer Protection Act and privacy case after finding that newly added factual allegations were sufficient, at least at the pleading stage, to establish personal jurisdiction and venue, allowing the lawsuit to move forward.

• More details here.

FCC Cracks Down on Robocall Database Errors With New Fines and Annual Certifications

• The Federal Communications Commission is raising the compliance stakes for telecommunications providers that fail to keep accurate information in the Robocall Mitigation Database, a system relied upon by carriers, regulators, and law enforcement to identify and block illegal robocall traffic. Under new rules taking effect February 5, telecoms will face meaningful financial penalties for false, inaccurate, or outdated filings, a move the agency says is aimed at strengthening the integrity of the nation’s call authentication framework and closing enforcement gaps that bad actors have exploited.

• More details here.

Nearly Half of Consumers Carry Credit Card Debt as Emergency Costs Pile Up

• Credit card debt is becoming a long-term fixture in household finances, not a temporary bridge. A new survey from Bankrate shows that 61% of Americans with credit card debt have carried balances for at least a year, up sharply from 53% just one year ago. Nearly half of all credit cardholders now carry a balance month to month, and a growing share of consumers say they see no clear path out. For organizations that depend on consumer payment capacity, the data points to sustained financial strain rather than a short-lived spike.

• More details here.

WORTH NOTING: If you are planning on looking for a new job this year, here is a resume template built to help you get through the AI door ... A look at how consumers perceive their banks and bank accounts ... In a revised settlement with the Attorney General of New York, Capital One has pledged to return more than $425 million back to consumers who were shortchanged on interest payments ... Nearly all consumers are using AI on their phone, but most don't realize it ... Anthropic has launched a new version of Claude Code that makes it even easier to use ... How to give a good pep talk ... Budget grocery chain Aldi has launched a huge expansion nationwide ... How to get ready to celebrate National Pizza Week.

Trailer Tuesday, part I

Trailer Tuesday, Part II

Webinar Recap: AI vs. Human Judgment: Finding the Right Balance in Complex Decisions

In a webinar hosted by Mike Gibb of AccountsRecovery.net and sponsored by CSS Impact, industry leaders explored how artificial intelligence is reshaping decision-making in credit and collections, and where human judgment remains indispensable. Panelists included Shelly Gensmer-Cleek (UniFund), Rami Haddad (PRA Group), Abby Hogan (FairPlay.ai), Kali Fox Miller (Oportun), and Laura White (Independent Compliance Advisor).

The discussion highlighted that AI is already embedded in many operational processes, from scrubbing data to auditing calls, but its role in high-stakes decisions—such as adverse actions, hardship programs, or litigation—requires careful oversight. Panelists emphasized that while AI excels at scale, speed, and consistency, humans are essential for empathy, ethical context, and nuanced interpretation.

Key risks identified included bias in data sets, vendor overpromises, and the potential for automation to amplify compliance violations at scale. The consensus: organizations must establish strong governance frameworks, monitor outputs rigorously, and treat AI as a supplement—not a replacement—for human expertise.

🧠 Key Takeaways:

• Adopt a tiered approach to AI use: Apply AI to low-risk, repetitive tasks while reserving humans for complex, high-stakes decisions.

• Strengthen governance and controls: Build AI policies, committees, and monitoring systems to prevent and detect compliance errors.

• Scrutinize vendors and data quality: Test tools rigorously and ensure clean, unbiased data to avoid ethical and regulatory pitfalls.

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