Daily Digest - March 5, 2026

🎂 Happy Birthday to the following: Robert O'Brien of CompuMail, and Kellie Belote of Trusting Social.

Getting to Know Todd Wyatt of Scott & Associates

• If you are looking for someone to sugarcoat news to make it seem less scary or bad, Todd Wyatt might not be the guy you go to. But as Todd has learned, being brutally honest doesn’t have to come at the expense of making a connection with someone. And he loves making connections, especially when it comes to mentoring the next generation of industry leaders and beyond. Read on to learn more about Todd, the innovation he has brought to the industry, and what he gains when he spends time in the outdoors.

• More details here.

• This series is sponsored by TEC Services Group

A MESSAGE FROM TCN

TODAY’S WEBINAR

UPCOMING WEBINARS

Judge Rejects Borrower’s Attempt to Block Collection Based on Old Bankruptcy Ruling

• A District Court judge in Arkansas has granted a defendant’s motion to dismiss claims it violated the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act over attempts to collect on a debt that was part of a bankruptcy proceeding more than a decade ago. The decision came after a borrower argued that a student loan servicer had no legal authority to collect or report a student loan debt because of developments during a Chapter 13 bankruptcy proceeding that took place years earlier.

• More details here.

Hospitals Driving Surge in Healthcare Spending: Report

• National healthcare spending in the United States has climbed to $5.3 trillion, representing about 18% of the nation’s gross domestic product, and hospitals are the largest contributor to the recent surge in costs. A new analysis from KFF finds that hospital care accounted for 40% of the growth in national health spending between 2022 and 2024. For organizations across the revenue cycle, including hospitals, collection agencies, and healthcare lenders, the findings highlight how hospital pricing and utilization trends are shaping the broader financial environment surrounding medical debt.

• More details here.

Banking Groups Urge Fed to Begin Gradual Phaseout of Paper Checks

• Two of the financial services industry’s largest trade groups are urging the Federal Reserve to begin planning for a future where paper checks play a much smaller role in the U.S. payments system. In a joint letter, the American Bankers Association and the Consumer Bankers Association told the Federal Reserve that check usage has been declining for years while fraud and processing costs continue to rise. Their message to regulators is not to eliminate checks overnight, but to start a coordinated, long-term effort to move consumers and businesses toward electronic payment alternatives while gradually reducing certain paper-based check services.

• More details here.

Judge Dismisses FCRA Claims Over BK Reporting, Cites Limits on CRA Responsibilities

• A District Court judge in Illinois has granted a defendant’s motion to dismiss claims it violated the Fair Credit Reporting Act, ruling that it has no obligation to determine whether a debt has been discharged in bankruptcy or not.

• More details here.

WebRecon: 2026 Kicks Off With Mixed Results

• January 2026 numbers are in, and it shows TCPA (-1.4%) and FDCPA (-13.5%) numbers down from the previous month, while FCRA (+11.1%) litigation was up, along with CFPB complaints (+2.1%). All four categories are up significantly from Jan 2025 however. Year-over-year, TCPA (+5.8%), FDCPA (+26.5%), FCRA (+47.5%) and CFPB complaints (+26%) all started with a bang this year.

• More details here.

WORTH NOTING: A look at which software is winning the AI chatbot race ... More Americans are finding themselves getting caught up in financial scams than in the past ... Tales of heroism from last week's Committee of 100 meeting in Curacao ... National Consumer Protection Week highlights from Arizona ... Happy hour has evolved from getting a drink after work ... Twisted Sister is getting a new frontman ... A list of new books you should read this month ... A majority of Americans want the government to start regulating AI.

Top 10 Thursday, part I

Top 10 Thursday, Part II

Webinar Recap: Employees Don’t Quit Jobs — They Quit Managers: Training Leaders for Success

In a recent webinar moderated by Dennis Barton and hosted by Mike Gibb, industry leaders from credit and collections organizations explored why employees often leave managers rather than jobs. The panel emphasized that effective leadership is central to retention, engagement, and performance. Sponsored by Peak Revenue Learning, the session also highlighted the importance of combating the “forgetting curve” in training to ensure long-term knowledge retention.

Panelists shared practical strategies for balancing data-driven KPIs with human connection. Gwen Gullicksen noted, “We coach the how to get the want… you can’t just point at a spreadsheet.” Daniel Gillaspey stressed explaining the “why” behind metrics to build buy-in, while David Guy emphasized starting meetings with personal check-ins before diving into numbers. Tim Caraveo described daily huddles as a way to instill discipline and foster team cohesion.

Leadership development was another key theme. The panel agreed that competence alone is not enough—servant leadership, integrity, and mentoring are essential. Structured programs, such as CBE’s two-year leadership cohort, were highlighted as effective ways to prepare future leaders. Chris Rickman of Peak Revenue Learning reinforced the need for continuous training, citing an IBM study showing employees who feel unsupported in career growth are 12 times more likely to leave.

🧠 Key Takeaways:

• Balance KPIs with empathy: Managers should personalize performance discussions, explain the “why” behind metrics, and recognize improvements to build trust and engagement.

• Develop leaders proactively: Identify potential leaders based on integrity and servant leadership traits, not just performance, and provide mentoring or structured development programs.

• Invest in continuous learning: Combat the forgetting curve with microlearning and ongoing reinforcement to reduce compliance risks, improve performance, and retain talent.

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