Daily Digest - July 16, 2025

Brought to you by: TCN | By Mike Gibb

Author

Mike Gibb
July 16, 2025

🥳 🎂 Happy Birthday to Robert Cole of Ally Financial Services, Kristen Eastman of Troutman Pepper Locke, Scott Wortmann of Beam Software, and Mellisa Massey of National Credit Adjusters. And a special Happy 17th Birthday to Evan Gibb.

🙌 🎉 Congratulations to: Salleina Yen, the new Senior Implementation Manager at CRED, and Hailey Boyer, the new Director of Performance Management at LegalStream.

📆 Going to ACA next week in Louisville? Want to sit down and chat? Let me know!

More than 35 speakers have confirmed for ComplianceCon. Check out who will be speaking and more at Compliance-Con.com.

Judge Dismisses FDCPA Case Over Different Dates in MVNs

  • A District Court judge in Pennsylvania has granted a defendant’s motion to dismiss a lawsuit that claims it violated the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, ruling that using two different itemization dates in two different notices is not misleading or deceptive.

  • More details here.

A MESSAGE FROM TCN

TODAY‘S WEBINAR

UPCOMING WEBINARS

Inside the CFPB Shutdown: Employees Paid But Forbidden to Work

  • Depending on how you look at it, life is either really bleak or really sweet if you are currently employed by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, according to a published report. While the agency’s headquarters remain lit across from the White House, and paychecks continue to flow, a reported directive from the Trump administration has effectively rendered the CFPB non-functional. Employees have described the situation as demoralizing, saying they are explicitly prohibited from performing any work.

  • More details here.

Senators Slam Restart of Student Loan Interest Charges, Cite $27B Burden on Borrowers

  • Senators Chuck Schumer, Elizabeth Warren, and Bernie Sanders are calling on Education Secretary Linda McMahon to reverse the Department of Education’s decision to resume interest charges for nearly 8 million student loan borrowers currently trapped in forbearance under the SAVE (Saving on a Valuable Education) plan. The move could cost borrowers over $27 billion in the next year, with an average monthly increase of $300 per borrower.

  • More details here.

31 Companies Seeking Collection Talent

  • I feel like I could write a Dr. Seuss book highlighting this week's job listings. There are jobs here and there; there are jobs everywhere. Check out this week's listings for more than 30 different opportunities open to professionals across the country, everywhere on the corporate ladder, and in all departments of a collection operation.

  • More details here.

WORTH NOTING: Debt is the common thread behind rising levels of consumer stress, according to new data ... Most individuals trust health information generated by artificial intelligence ... A lot of physician practices nationwide are struggling financially, according to new research ... The state of the economy has more consumers interested in fixing things that are broken instead of replacing them ... Y'all is not just for Southerners anymore ... Prices went up in June as inflation accelerated ... Why some people prefer bosses who are harsh, not soft ... The Commodore 64 is making a comeback.

Wisdom Wednesday, part I

Wisdom Wednesday, Part II

Webinar Recap: Disputes in Auto Finance: Strategies to Stay Compliant and Preserve Relationships

Auto lenders are facing a notable rise in credit disputes — particularly around delinquency and fraud — fueled by increased consumer awareness, tighter household budgets, and guidance from social media influencers and generative AI tools like ChatGPT. In this expert-led webinar, panelists from Stellantis Financial Services, Kota Business Solutions, and Provana unpacked current dispute trends, shared investigation best practices, and emphasized the importance of maintaining strong customer relationships while remaining compliant.

🔍 Key Takeaways

  1. Consumers are More Sophisticated and Proactive
    Dispute volume is up over 10% in 2025. Consumers are using online advice, social media scripts, and even AI tools to draft disputes. Many are acting alone now that the credit repair industry is under scrutiny. As a result, lenders are seeing more general and fraud-based disputes — and must treat each one with a full and reasonable investigation, regardless of how it’s submitted.

  2. Being “Audit Ready” is Non-Negotiable
    Regulators may shift, but expectations haven’t. Lenders should document every step of their dispute investigations and maintain clear, regularly updated policies and procedures. If you can’t prove it, it didn’t happen. Panelists emphasized the importance of being prepared for scrutiny from both federal and state regulators.

  3. Communication and Technology Preserve Consumer Trust
    Even when consumers are unhappy, they expect transparency and fast responses. Lenders should focus on clear, consistent communications and build systems that support consumer visibility into dispute progress — think “Domino’s Pizza Tracker” for investigations. Tools like Provana’s Sonnet help automate and manage these workflows at scale.

🎯 Action Items

  • Review and update your dispute policies and procedures to ensure consistency, flexibility, and documentation.

  • Analyze your dispute trends for root causes that may point to internal issues or training gaps.

  • Audit your communication touchpoints and look for ways to improve responsiveness using automation and consumer-friendly tools.

Sponsored by Provana. Learn more at provana.com.

The Daily Digest is sponsored by TCN