Daily Digest - October 14, 2025

 🎉🎂 Happy Birthday to: Scott Lindley of Client Services Incorporated, and Joshua Bisiaux of First National Collection Bureau.

🎉 Congratulations for starting new positions: Melissa Rodarte as Senior Collector at Reliant Capital Solutions, Jeremy Fong as Regional Vice President at NewtekOne (NASDAQ: NEWT), and David Lamberk as Director - Strategy and Analytics at Quanta Credit Services.

📆 Going to NCBA This Week? Me Too!

I will be in San Antonio for NCBA Connect this week. If you have a few minutes and want to catch up, shoot me an email - mike@accountsrecovery,net, reply to this message, or text me at 646-642-1536.

🔔 October Meeting Schedule

Monday, October 20 @3pm ET: Women in Collections

Wednesday, October 22 @3pm ET: ARMTech Innovation Lab

Thursday, October 23 @3pm ET: Platform Pulse

Monday, October 27 @3pm ET: Compliance Chat

Tuesday, October 28 @3pm ET: Vendor Roundtable

Thursday, October 30 @3pm ET: Small Agency TechTactics

Defendant Facing Multiple Suits Over Parking Fees

• A company is defending itself against nearly three dozen lawsuits filed in Florida federal courts alleging it violated the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act and the Driver’s Privacy Protection Act because it attempted to collect on unpaid parking fees. All of the suits have been filed in the past six weeks and all of the plaintiffs appear to be represented by the same attorney.

• More details here.

• This series is sponsored by WebRecon

A MESSAGE FROM TCN

TODAY‘S WEBINAR

UPCOMING WEBINARS

Judge Awards $24K After Repo Found to Breach the Peace

• A District Court judge in Illinois has granted a plaintiff’s motion for summary judgment on claims that an automobile repossession company violated the Uniform Commercial Code and the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act when it completed the repossession of a vehicle after a breach of the peace had occurred, and awarded the plaintiff more than $24,000 in damages.

• More details here.

AI Models Can Simulate Real Consumer Behaviors … No Humans Required

• A new research paper published last week may signal a seismic shift in how companies study consumer behavior. The study, led by researchers at PyMC Labs and Colgate-Palmolive, outlines a method that allows large language models (LLMs) to simulate human purchase decisions with remarkable accuracy—without needing actual survey respondents.

• More details here.

Consumers Warm to AI, But Still Worry About Control, Privacy, and Jobs

• Artificial intelligence is officially mainstream. According to Visa’s latest American Mood Trend report, more than 20% of U.S. consumers who use generative AI now do so daily, a clear sign that tools like ChatGPT, Gemini, and Copilot have become part of people’s everyday routines. But beneath that adoption lies anxiety: many consumers are uneasy about losing control, privacy, and even their jobs as AI continues to advance.

• More details here.

WORTH NOTING: If you had the chance to re-do your college experience, would you? A lot of people said yes ... North Carolina has forgiven more than $6.5 billion of medical debt for its residents ... Math teachers are hating the numbers six and seven these days ... Another reason to keep your kids away from social media ... Members of Generation Z ditching the American dream of homeownership to buy stocks instead ... I will remember him for being one of my first in-person meetings when I entered the world of business journalism, 24 years ago this month ... What happens after a near-death experience isn't always pleasant, according to new research ... It's not just you. Most workplaces are toxic, according to new research.

Trailer Tuesday, part I

Trailer Tuesday, Part II

Webinar Recap: How iOS 26 is Impacting Customer Engagement

Apple’s latest update, iOS 26, introduces a new call screening feature that could significantly change how collection agencies and financial institutions reach consumers. With over 130 million iPhones in use across the U.S., this update has major implications for right-party contact (RPC) rates, compliance strategy, and consumer engagement.

In a recent webinar sponsored by CSS Impact, panelists Tim Collins (Pay Ready), Jonathan Goldberg (National Recovery Associates), and Mike Zhou (Indebted) discussed how Apple’s new technology allows consumers to screen calls by prompting callers to identify themselves before the phone rings. This transcription-based feature, powered by Siri, may impact engagement rates as more consumers adopt the update.

While adoption is still ramping up, panelists emphasized that trust and transparency will be key to maintaining connection rates. “Ultimately, what we’re dealing with here is a trust factor,” said Goldberg. “Identifying yourself is a strong way to overcome that.”

The group agreed that the impact on contact rates will likely grow over time as the technology becomes more widely used, and that agencies should prepare now by adjusting scripts, tracking data, and updating compliance strategies.

🧠 Key Takeaways:

• Build Trust Through Branding: Register your company with Apple Business Connect so your logo and name display on calls, helping consumers recognize and trust your number.

• Train Collectors Early: Prepare teams to recognize Siri’s screening voice and adjust responses or hang up strategically to preserve compliance.

• Track and Adapt: Monitor KPIs like RPCs, voicemail rates, and Siri-answered calls to identify trends and refine contact strategies.

As Collins summarized, “AI isn’t coming—it’s here. Agencies need to get ahead of this shift now to maintain compliance and connection.”

The Daily Digest is sponsored by TCN