Daily Digest - July 22, 2026

Brought to you by: TCN | By Mike Gibb

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Mike Gibb
July 22, 2026

NEW AI SURVEY … CLOSING SOON

Have 90 seconds to help me out? Take this quick survey, sponsored by TCN, on how you are using AI, what you like about it, and what frustrates you.

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.

New AI Event!

I am thrilled to announce a new live conference I am hosting. It’s an AI conference for the credit and collection industry. It will be held in Denver this September. Check out getbrainstorming.com for more information. And watch the video below to see me showcasing my outdoor skills.

If you are interested in being a speaker at the event, click here.

Appeals Court Affirms Ruling for Law Firm in FDCPA Case Over Counter-Complaint

  • Can a compulsory counterclaim filed on a public docket violate the FDCPA? A plaintiff told the Ninth Circuit that e-filing "published it to the entire world." The panel didn't buy it, affirming that pleadings served only on a consumer's attorneys aren't actionable, and drawing a line between who receives a communication and who merely has access to it. A useful precedent for any firm juggling collection litigation and mandatory filings.

  • More details here.

A MESSAGE FROM TCN

TODAY’S WEBINAR

UPCOMING WEBINARS

Judge Rules Payment Reported After Charge-Off is Not an Inaccuracy

  • A pro se plaintiff was sure he'd found a contradiction: a payment date more than 18 months after a charge-off. A federal judge in California disagreed on every front, ruling consumers can keep paying charged-off debts, a lower credit score alone isn't an injury, and private plaintiffs can't get injunctive relief under the FCRA anyway. Three defense-friendly holdings in one recommended dismissal.

  • More details here.

EEOC Moves to Eliminate EEO-1 Reports, Ending Six Decades of Workforce Demographic Filings

  • If your agency has 100 or more employees, one of your annual compliance obligations may be about to disappear. The EEOC voted to propose rescinding the EEO-1 and five related reports, filings that date to 1966 and cost private employers an estimated $273 million a year. The comment window is just 30 days once published. Here's what's driving the move and what happens next.

  • More details here.

FTC Settlement Bans Student Loan Debt Relief Operator From Industry, Telemarketing

  • The FTC has closed out its case against Superior Servicing, permanently banning the last remaining defendant from debt relief and telemarketing under a $45.9 million judgment, most of it suspended. The case is a clear signal of how aggressively the Commission is wielding its 2024 Impersonation Rule against companies that fake government affiliation. Worth reading for what it says about the FTC's enforcement playbook.

  • More details here.

AI Analysis of 35 Million Conversations Shows Empathy Moves the Needle on Customer Satisfaction

  • Everyone tells agents to be empathetic. Now there's data showing exactly what it's worth. An AI analysis of 35 million customer conversations found that explicitly acknowledging a customer's frustration lifted satisfaction scores nearly 12 percent overall, and over 14 percent in financial services, one of the strongest results in the study. The catch? Four out of five conversations skipped it entirely. What that means for your call floor.

  • More details here.

Bank of America Adds Generative AI to Agent-Assist Tool, Cutting Call Times by a Minute

  • Bank of America just gave 18,000 customer service reps an AI copilot that summarizes calls, surfaces account details, and recommends next steps in under three seconds, shaving nearly a minute off average call times. The human-in-the-loop design maps directly onto collection call centers, where full automation carries real compliance risk. A look at what the model could mean for agency deployments.

  • More details here.

47 Companies Seeking Collection Talent

  • Hiring is happening across the industry, from entry-level collections roles to a COO seat and a chief information security officer opening. This week's roundup gathers 47 open positions spanning operations, legal and compliance, management, and technology, including remote and hybrid roles. See who's hiring and where.

  • More details here

WORTH NOTING: The Dodd-Frank Act, which ushered in the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, turned 16 years old yesterday ... Workers feel their wages aren't keeping up with inflation, even though government data says the situation is not as bad as workers believe ... Elephants may be able to communicate with each other from as far as six miles away ... How to pick a bank that works for you ... Is lettuce safe to eat? ... One hiring executive weighs in on how candidates can set themselves apart in an AI world ... A member of Gen Z asking what to expect before his first day at a corporate job was given some pretty depressing advice ... Common airplane habits that drive travelers up the wall.

Wisdom Wednesday, part I

Wisdom Wednesday, Part II

Yesterday’s webinar recap and highlights will be published in tomorrow’s Daily Digest. Sorry for any inconvenience.

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