Daily Digest - March 16, 2026

🎂 Happy Birthday to the following: Matt Wolk of TransUnion, Tammy Romero of Pay Ready, Taina Felippe of Velocity Investments, and Tiffany Robertson of A.R.M. Solutions. Happy belated Birthday to: Dan Pfeiffer of Metron Deliverables (March 15), Jonathan Harbin of Amazon Web Services (March 15), Rifqa Bobo of Sequium Asset Solutions (March 14), Michelle Edelbach of Investinet (March 14), and Paul Daniels (March 14).

🏀 The NCAA Pool is Back! Hundreds in prizes available!

I’m thrilled to bring back the annual NCAA mens’s basketball pool. Enter as often as you like. There is no charge to play. Prizes have been donated by TCN, Maxyfi, Applied Innovation, Debt$Net, and CSS Impact. This is open to anyone and everyone in the credit and collections industry. Filling out a bracket takes just a couple of minutes. Join in the fun!

NEW: Digital Communications Survey

✅ Click here and take a quick digital communications and benchmarking survey, sponsored by TCN.

California Appeals Court Says Consumers Can Sue Debt Buyers Without Showing Harm

• A California Appeals Court has overturned a lower court’s ruling in favor of a debt buyer, ruling that any individual who pleads that a company violates the state’s Fair Debt Buying Practices Act has standing regardless of whether the individual suffered any harm. In the decision, the Sixth District Court of Appeal concluded that the statute itself grants consumers the right to sue for violations of its requirements, even when the violation results in no concrete injury.

• More details here.

A MESSAGE FROM TCN

TODAY’S WEBINAR

UPCOMING WEBINARS

Judge Rejects Trump Administration’s Theory Blocking CFPB Funding

• A federal judge on Friday ruled that the Trump administration unlawfully refused to request funding for the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, ordering Acting Director Russ Vought to continue seeking money from the Federal Reserve to keep the agency operating.

• More details here.

Jefferson Capital Says Market Conditions Are Creating a ‘Long Runway’ for Debt Buyers

• Jefferson Capital last week reported fourth-quarter net income of $37.7 million, up from $27.0 million in the same period of 2024, while full-year 2025 income rose to $218.4 million from $137.4 million in 2024. But the more interesting message was management’s view that elevated delinquencies and charge-offs continue to support portfolio supply, even as the company sharpens its legal collections process, leans into automation and process efficiency, and positions itself for more growth in 2026.

• More details here.

AI-Driven Medical Coding May Be Adding Billions to Healthcare Costs, BCBS Study Finds

• Artificial intelligence is rapidly transforming the financial mechanics of healthcare, and new research suggests the technology may already be influencing how much insurers, employers, and patients ultimately pay for care. New analysis from the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association indicates that AI-enabled coding tools used by hospitals may be contributing to billions of dollars in additional healthcare spending, highlighting a growing tension between technology adoption, reimbursement practices, and healthcare affordability.

• More details here.

Compliance Digest – March 16

• Ten different attorneys -- Jenna Williams, Stephanie Strickler, Mitch Williamson, Marty Stern, Justin Penn, Jason Tompkins, Carlin McCrory, Nick Prola, Ari Derman, and Dale Golden -- weigh in with comments on the issues of standing, debt settlement, the FCC's proposed rule regarding onshoring call centers, and a handful of FCRA lawsuits in this week's Compliance Digest.

• More details here.

• This series is sponsored by Frost Echols

WORTH NOTING: Buy Now, Pay Later products and adoption continue to grow and mature ... President Trump released two executive orders aimed at expanding the housing markets and access to mortgages ... How people are planning on spending their tax refunds in 2026 ... A handful of takeaways from last night's Oscar awards ... The states where Americans pay the most, and the least, for electricity ... Look to your left and to your right. Odds are, one of you believes we are living in the end times ... A lot of people feel that owning a car is becoming impossible ... Things you need to understand about how the war with Iran will raise your cost of living.

Music Monday, part I

Music Monday, Part II

Friday’s webinar recap will appear in tomorrow’s Daily Digest. Sorry for any inconvenience.

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The Daily Digest is sponsored by TCN