Daily Digest - July 3, 2026

🎂 Happy birthday to: Ryan Rafert of Newrez Servicing and Kirsten Scoggins of First Flight Federal Credit Union.

🎉Congratulations for starting new positions: Dave Myles as Director of Information Technology at Southwood Financial.

NEW AI SURVEY

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.

New Training Bytes Video Released!

Check out the newest Training Bytes video! Each week, an expert from the accounts receivable management industry will share how he or she would handle different scenarios that collectors often face. This week, Jenna Leigh Guyton from Americollect shares advice on how do you advise or recommend collectors to respond when a consumer says something along the lines of, “I have no idea what this debt is about or why you’re calling me.” Thanks to Peak Revenue Learning for sponsoring this series! Click on the image below to view this week’s episode!

FDCPA Suit Alleges Defendants Communicated with Consumer Despite Multiple Notifications About Representation

• There are times where I choose a complaint to write about because the details are interesting (man bites dog). Then, there are times where I choose a complaint to write about because it spotlights a trend that I am noticing when reviewing complaints. This is one of those situations. I have been noticing a fair number of complaints where the plaintiffs are alleging that they have notified a collection operation that they are being represented by an attorney, yet the operations are allegedly still attempting to communicate directly with the consumers.

• More details here.

• This series is sponsored by WebRecon

A MESSAGE FROM TCN

TODAY’S WEBINAR

UPCOMING WEBINARS

Judge Trims 15-Count FDCPA, FCRA Suit to Single Claim Over Alleged Call to Plaintiff’s Friend

• A District Court judge in Ohio has granted most of a motion for summary judgment filed by the defendants in a Fair Debt Collection Practices Act and Fair Credit Reporting Act case, dismissing 14 of the plaintiff’s 15 claims while allowing one claim, that a collector allegedly discussed the debt with the plaintiff’s friend, to proceed to trial.

• More details here.

Fewer Renters Missing Payments, But More Are Cutting Spending and Skipping Bills, Philly Fed Finds

• Fewer renters are missing rent payments than a year ago, but more of them are skipping other bills and cutting back on spending to make it happen, according to a new report from the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia that offers a detailed look at the financial pressures facing that population of consumers.

• More details here.

Judge Denies Appeal, Allows Class Discovery to Proceed in FCRA Credit Pull Case

• A District Court judge in New Jersey has denied a defendant’s appeal of a Magistrate Judge’s order lifting a stay on class discovery in a Fair Credit Reporting Act case, ruling that what consumers nationwide complained about may help answer whether the defendant should have known the plaintiff never applied for a loan in the first place.

• More details here.

California Appeals Court Sanctions Plaintiff, Makes State Bar Referral Over AI-Generated Citations

• The Court of Appeal of California has dismissed a plaintiff’s appeal in a repossession lawsuit after the parties settled, but not before sanctioning the plaintiff for filing a brief built on fabricated case law bearing the hallmarks of generative artificial intelligence.

• More details here.

Consumers Will Try AI, But They Want a Human Within Reach, Five9 Report Finds

• For contact center operators, the era of deciding whether to deploy artificial intelligence is over. The new challenge is making it work without losing the customer’s trust in the process.

• More details here.

Warner Floats Federal Framework for AI Agents, Presses Treasury on Financial Services Risks

• Sen. Mark Warner [D-Va.] has released a discussion draft of legislation that would create the first federal framework governing AI agents that act on consumers’ behalf online, pairing the proposal with a letter urging the Treasury Department to develop rules for agentic AI in financial services.

• More details here

WORTH NOTING: Bill Gates shares the four jobs he thinks will never be replaced by AI ... A look at yesterday's unemployment numbers and what's going on in the job market ... A look at how a trip to the emergency room for an aspiring lawyer led to a career fighting medical debt ... Is writing too well now a sign that AI is involved? ... Homeownership is a dream that could be out of reach for most people in just five years ... It's not just the hot days that are causing problems, it's the hot nights, too ... A splash of color might be the easiest way to boost your happiness ... Microsoft is potentially laying off 5,000 workers next week.

Funny Friday, part I

Funny Friday, Part II

Webinar Recap: Getting Past "I'll Just Do It Manually": Driving AI Adoption Inside Your Operation

The session, sponsored by CSS Impact, tackled one of the biggest barriers to AI adoption in collections: culture. While AI promises efficiency and scalability, many teams default to manual processes out of habit, comfort, or fear of losing control. Panelists emphasized that resistance is often less about the technology itself and more about change management, leadership, and trust.

Brian McLellan noted, “People aren’t resisting AI, they’re protecting what they already feel good at.” Brett Schklar added that AI adoption exposes strong versus weak leaders, highlighting the need for managers to embrace innovation rather than cling to inefficiencies. Karissa Clampit stressed that AI doesn’t fix unclear operations—it exposes them, making governance and compliance critical.

Practical strategies included starting small with visible wins, focusing on repetitive tasks, and involving frontline staff in testing. Ryder Thompson of CSS Impact underscored AI’s competitive advantage: “AI can do things in seconds that take hours manually. Scale is no longer limited by hiring and training.”

🧠 Key Takeaways:

• Start with contained, high-impact use cases: Target repetitive 15-minute tasks or small workflows that deliver measurable time savings and build trust in AI.

• Lead with culture and governance: Ensure leadership sets clear boundaries, compliance frameworks, and communicates the vision—AI adoption is as much about culture as technology.

• Empower teams incrementally: Involve end users in pilot projects, provide training, and celebrate small wins to build momentum and confidence.

This webinar made clear that moving past “I’ll just do it manually” requires both leadership courage and operational clarity. AI adoption is not about replacing talent—it’s about freeing skilled professionals to focus on higher-value work while scaling operations efficiently.

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