Daily Digest - May 1, 2026

🎂Happy Birthday to: Jon Balon of Williams & Fudge, Hale Parisek of Bank of America Merrill Lynch, Brian Morris of Equabli, Loren Pigman of Garden Savings Federal Credit Union, and Aaron Cushman of Andreu, Palma, Lavin & Solis, PLLC.

🎉Congratulations for starting new positions: Zane Jordan as Account Resolution Specialist at University Credit Union, and Leeann Haight as Senior Sales Support at Caribou Financial, Inc.

🚨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, Wade Isbell from Professional Credit shares how to respond when a consumer claims or makes a comment that he or she is being harassed. Thanks to Peak Revenue Learning for sponsoring this series! Click on the image below to view this week’s episode!

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.

FCRA and FDCPA Claims Follow Alleged Post-Payment Reporting

• Credit reporting is not for the faint of heart. There are a lot of places where the process can get confusing and break down. A consumer has filed suit against a collection operation and the original creditor, accusing them of violating the Fair Credit Reporting Act and the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act after allegedly reporting a balance on a debt that had already been settled and then quickly verifying that balance during a dispute.The case, which has been removed to federal court, centers on what many in the industry will recognize as a high-risk moment: the intersection of settlement execution, furnishing timing, and dispute handling.

• More details here.

• This series is sponsored by WebRecon

A MESSAGE FROM TCN

TODAY’S WEBINAR

UPCOMING WEBINARS

Washington Supreme Court Extends Charity Care Notice Requirements to Collection Agencies

• The Washington Supreme Court has ruled that collection agencies pursuing hospital debt must provide notice of charity care, answering a certified question that could reshape how medical accounts are handled once they move beyond the provider. In a decision rooted in both statutory interpretation and public policy, the court held that the obligations tied to charity care do not disappear when a hospital assigns a debt to a third-party collector.

• More details here.

ID Theft Claims Fall Short as Judge Backs Creditor’s Investigation Process

• A District Court judge in New York has sided with a creditor in a Fair Credit Reporting Act case, concluding that its investigation into an identity theft dispute was not only reasonable, but in several respects went beyond what the law requires. The ruling offers a detailed look at how far furnishers must go when evaluating disputes and where courts may draw the line when consumers fail to provide substantiating evidence.

• More details here.

Ed. Dept. Finalizes Sweeping Student Loan Changes Impacting Repayment and Borrowing Limits

• The Department of Education has finalized a new rule that will reshape how borrowers take on debt and repay it, with major implications for default rates and collection activity. The changes, which take effect beginning July 1, introduce new borrowing limits, eliminate certain repayment options, and establish a new income-driven repayment framework, while also making targeted updates to the loan rehabilitation process.

• More details here.

FDCPA Class-Action Lives On After Plaintiff’s Death as Court Allows Substitution

• You don’t often get to see or write about fatalities when it comes to debt collection, but a Magistrate Court judge in New Jersey has approved a request for the daughter of the plaintiff in a Fair Debt Collection Practices Act to replace her deceased mother as the plaintiff in a decade-long running case over a statute of limitations disclosure in a letter. The decision addresses a procedural question that could have ended the case entirely. Instead, the judge found that the claims survive and that the case can move forward through the plaintiff’s estate.

• More details here.

InterProse Appoints Ron Totaro and Ray Peloso to Board of Directors as It Expands ACE Platform

• InterProse has appointed Ron Totaro and Ray Peloso to its Board of Directors, adding two seasoned executives in fintech, lending, and software as the company accelerates growth of its cloud-based debt recovery platform ACE following a strategic investment from Wingman Growth Partners earlier this year.

• More details here.

WORTH NOTING: A lack of financial education leads a lot of consumers to regret decisions they make ... How to do a background check on yourself ... How American Express is using generative AI to augment customer service ... A breakdown of the best frequent flyer programs of 2026 ... Think before you flush: the things you shouldn't be sending down your toilet ... The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau has issued a new rule narrowing previous attempts at combatting discrimination in lending to small businesses ... Ticket expert shares things to avoid when sending emails to Millennials ... Nutrition experts share the five healthiest nuts you should be snacking on.

Funny Friday, part I

Funny Friday, Part II

Webinar Recap: Buy vs. Build: The New Calculus for Software Development

Hosted by Mike Gibb of AccountsRecovery.net and sponsored by CSS Impact, this webinar explored the shifting dynamics of whether collection agencies, debt buyers, banks, fintechs, and healthcare providers should buy off-the-shelf software or build custom solutions. With AI, cloud services, and no-code platforms accelerating innovation, the panel emphasized that the traditional buy vs. build equation has changed. Panelists included Topher Androff (Universal Fidelity), Rob Grafrath (Grafrath Consulting), Ralph Hall (BCA Financial Services/GVH Consulting), and Calder Willingham (Creditors Bureau Associates). a

The discussion highlighted the risks of overconfidence in building complex systems, the importance of organizational capacity, and the growing role of AI in both vendor offerings and in-house development. As Rob Grafrath cautioned, “Do we really know enough about what we’re considering building to build it to the level of quality and security it deserves?” Panelists agreed that while small automation tasks may justify building internally, enterprise-scale systems often demand vendor solutions. Ryder Thompson reinforced this point by noting that “Programming is one thing, but having a programmer that understands your end goal and collections—that’s another thing.”

🧠 Key Takeaways:

• Balance ambition with resources: Custom builds offer flexibility but require technical depth, product management discipline, and long-term support planning.

• Software is both asset and liability: As Grafrath noted, writing software is different from operating it—maintenance, security, and risk must be factored into every decision.

• Leverage AI strategically: Use AI for prototyping and small efficiencies, but apply governance to avoid “AI app creep” and ensure sustainable support.

This session underscored that the buy vs. build decision is no longer binary—it’s about aligning organizational capacity, risk tolerance, and evolving AI-driven tools with business goals.

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