Daily Digest - June 26, 2026

🎂 Happy birthday to: Jason Rooze of Rozlin Financial Group.

🎉Congratulations for starting a new position: Israel Boeta as Funds Recovery Specialist at Claimio.

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!

Undated MVN Leads to FDCPA Class Action

• What goes around, comes around. Everything that’s old is new again. The more things change, the more they stay the same. Plaintiffs’ attorneys and consumers have a habit of dusting off old claims to see whether the passage of time, or the right judge, can turn a past loss into a different result. The latest example: a collection operation is facing a Fair Debt Collection Practices Act class action because the Model Validation Notice it sent a consumer did not include a date.

• More details here.

• This series is sponsored by WebRecon

A MESSAGE FROM TCN

TODAY’S WEBINAR

UPCOMING WEBINARS

Judge Won’t Reopen Dismissed FDCPA Case Over Service, Jurisdiction Claims

• A District Court judge in Washington, D.C., has denied a pro se plaintiff’s bid to undo the dismissal of his Fair Debt Collection Practices Act lawsuit, rejecting his claims that the judgment was void for lack of jurisdiction and a denial of due process.

• More details here.

South Carolina Strips Collection Provisions From Final Medical Billing Law

• South Carolina lawmakers have finalized a medical billing transparency measure that drops the collection-specific provisions debt collectors had been tracking, leaving a law aimed squarely at healthcare facilities rather than the agencies that pursue their accounts.

• More details here.

Billionaire-Backed Gift Erases $550M in Medical Debt Across California

• Snap Chief Executive Evan Spiegel and his wife, model Miranda Kerr, have funded the relief of roughly $550 million in medical debt for more than 261,000 Californians, working through Undue Medical Debt, a nonprofit whose model runs directly through the accounts receivable management industry.

• More details here.

AI Is Everywhere on the Collections Floor, But Agents Say It Is Not Indispensable

• A new survey of frontline contact center agents arrives with a finding that should give collection operations leaders pause: although every agent surveyed uses artificial intelligence daily, not one considers it essential to their work.

• More details here.

Regulators Finalize Joint Data Standards Under Transparency Act

• The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and eight other federal financial regulators have finalized a joint rule establishing common data standards intended to make regulatory data interoperable across agencies. The standards do not change any reporting obligations on their own, but they set the foundation for requirements that could eventually reach firms reporting to the CFPB.

• More details here.

Appeals Court: FCRA Is ‘Not a Strict Liability Statute’

• The Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit has affirmed summary judgment for a background check company sued under the Fair Credit Reporting Act after it reported a speeding ticket that belonged not to the plaintiff, but to the plaintiff’s identical twin brother.

• More details here

WORTH NOTING: A look at how the members of Congress have voted on financial-related bills during the first five months of 2026 ... Consumers are getting more confident about their financial outlooks while still bracing for a recession and looking to protect their budgets ... A company has raised $50 million to build digital worlds that will stress-test AI agents ... Turns out that we're not very good at identifying AI travel photos when booking vacations ... The etiquette when it comes to parenting in public ... Buc-ee's has expanded into a new state ... A handful of things to keep in mind when it comes to AI hype ... A lot of companies are failing their most experienced female workers.

Funny Friday, part I

Funny Friday, Part II

Webinar Recap: E-Sign & Digital Collections

The session, moderated by Dennis Barton of Barton Law Group, focused on the E-Sign Act’s role in debt collection compliance. Panelists emphasized that while electronic signatures are legally equivalent to wet ink signatures, the critical issue lies in obtaining valid consumer consent for electronic disclosures. Without proper e-sign consent, agencies risk violations under the FDCPA, TCPA, and other statutes.

James Schultz explained that the E-Sign Act requires disclosures, affirmative consent, demonstrable ability to receive communications, and consumer capability to retain them. Angela Erwin highlighted the importance of testing consumer channels to ensure consent is “reasonably demonstrable.” Mitchell Williamson cautioned against relying on verbal consent, noting: “An oral communication… shall not qualify as an electronic record.”

Panelists discussed litigation risks, citing Bradley v. Dental Plans, where verbal consent failed under TCPA rules, leading to liability. They also clarified that while initial validation notices can be sent electronically without e-sign consent, follow-up notices after phone contact require it. State-specific rules, such as New York City’s Shield Rule and California’s Rosenthal Act, add further complexity.

The consensus: agencies should capture e-sign consent upfront, make it comprehensive, and ensure compliance across federal and state requirements.

🧠 Key Takeaways:

• Obtain written, demonstrable consent: Verbal agreements are insufficient. Agencies must secure written proof that consumers can receive and retain disclosures electronically.

• Capture consent early: Integrate e-sign disclosures at the start of consumer engagement to reduce friction and ensure coverage for future communications.

• Monitor state-specific rules: Jurisdictions like New York City and California impose stricter requirements, making upfront compliance essential.

This webinar underscored that e-sign is not a technicality but a compliance cornerstone. Agencies that fail to capture valid consent risk regulatory scrutiny and litigation exposure.

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