Daily Digest - June 2, 2026

🎂 Happy Birthday to: Sara (Woggerman) Burton of ARM Compliance Business Solutions, Sean Nicley of NCO Financial Systems, and Thomas Kersting of InvestiNet.

🎉Congratulations for starting new positions: Kevin Queen as Vendor Manager at eLEND.

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.

Logo Madness!

It’s time to crown the best logo in the industry. Full bracket available here so you can track the competition. Click on the link underneath the logo to choose your winner. Voting is open for 24 hours.

Collector Facing FDCPA Class Action Over Texts Sent After Cease Request

• A collection operation is facing a Fair Debt Collection Practices Act class-action lawsuit in California for continuing to send text messages to a consumer after the consumer allegedly sent the defendant a cease communication request.

• More details here.

• This series is sponsored by WebRecon

A MESSAGE FROM TCN

TODAY’S WEBINAR

UPCOMING WEBINARS

Eleventh Circuit Tosses Lawyer’s FDCPA Suit for Lack of a Concrete Injury

• The Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit has dismissed a lawsuit brought by an attorney who tried to sue a debt buyer and a collection law firm in his own name over a collection case that “did not go smoothly” for his client.

• More details here.

FCC Onshoring NPRM: Where the Collection Industry and Consumer Advocates Landed

• The Federal Communications Commission’s push to bring call center work back to the United States is drawing sharp, and split, reactions from the credit and collection industry and the consumer groups that watch it.

• More details here.

New Philadelphia Program Reroutes Consumer Credit Card Collection Cases

• The First Judicial District of Pennsylvania is rolling out a Consumer Credit Card Collection Diversion Pilot Program that adds a mandatory conciliation step to credit card debt suits filed against individuals in Philadelphia, a shift that will change how creditors and debt buyers litigate in one of the country’s busiest civil courts.

• More details here.

Financial Literacy Hits Decade Low

• Americans’ grasp of basic financial concepts fell to a 10-year low in 2026, a decline that has direct implications for any firm collecting debt or extending credit.

• More details here.

Bank M&A Is Good for Incremental Innovation, Bad for Breakthroughs, Research Finds

• Bank consolidation can fuel innovation up to a point, but once a market is dominated by a few large institutions, it tends to slow the most disruptive forms of technological progress, according to new research from North Dakota State University.

• More details here.

Appeals Court Affirms Dismissal of Consumer’s Credit Claims Over Disputed Financing

• The Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit has upheld the dismissal of a consumer’s Fair Credit Reporting Act lawsuit over a bed-financing account he says he never authorized, ruling that his own exhibits “control” and showed the lender actually investigated his dispute, while his fraud and conspiracy claims amounted to “vague legal conclusions.”

• More details here

WORTH NOTING: The career paths where recent college graduates feel most secure about landing jobs ... The next AI goldrush may come from inside your own house as companies look for new ways to train robots ... Why we have CVV codes and how they help fight fraud ... New research uncovers good and bad news for coffee drinkers ... What student loan borrowers need to know about changes to payment plans ... Wildfire experts are really worried about this year's fire season ... Flight attendants dish on the one thing that annoys flight crews the most ... Burger King is bringing back this menu item after 15 years ... Is it possible that Gen Z can teach older generations something about work?

Trailer Tuesday, part I

Trailer Tuesday, Part II

Webinar Recap: Discussing Collector Compensation in an AI/Portal/Omnichannel World

The webinar, hosted by Mike Gibb of AccountsRecovery.net and sponsored by Connect International, explored how collector compensation must evolve in an AI, portal, and omnichannel world. With routine payments increasingly handled through digital channels and self-service portals, panelists emphasized that traditional compensation models based on calls made and dollars collected are no longer sufficient. Instead, compensation structures must reward quality outcomes, adaptability, and behaviors that align with digital-first strategies.

Aaron Newell highlighted the shift to pooled environments to foster teamwork, noting, “Everybody wants paid for anything they may have touched… we changed to an office pool to foster a big team environment.” Meg Scotty described her agency’s evolving quota system, adjusted monthly using AI insights, and stressed the importance of aligning compensation with skill development. Jake Richards emphasized that digital funnels leave collectors with more complex cases, requiring metrics that measure quality over quantity. Rick Bonitzer underscored the value of “pre-scheduled revenue” and explained how agents directing consumers to portals still receive commission on future payments, ensuring buy-in.

Ken Rubin of Connect International added that nearshore agents are also adapting to complex calls in the AI-driven environment, reflecting the industry-wide shift toward technology-enabled collections.

🧠 Key Takeaways:

• Reevaluate metrics: Move beyond call counts and raw collections to focus on dispute resolution, conversion rates, and sustainable payment plans.

• Align incentives with digital adoption: Ensure compensation encourages agents to drive consumers toward self-service portals and auto-pay options.

• Introduce flexible structures: Consider pooled environments and monthly quota adjustments informed by AI to balance fairness and adaptability.

This session reinforced that compensation models must evolve to reflect the realities of digital-first collections, rewarding agents for quality, adaptability, and collaboration in an AI-augmented environment.

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