Daily Digest - September 15, 2025

Brought to you by: TCN | By Mike Gibb

Author

Mike Gibb
September 15, 2025

 🎉🎂 Happy Birthday to: Larry Steller of Quality Asset Recovery, Lori Cameron of Connect International, Emily Powers of Velocity Investments, and Anthony Crews of D&A Services. Happy belated Birthday to: Rafael Soto of Veros Credit (Sept. 14), Shawn Farris of Phillips & Cohen Associates (Sept. 14), and Harry Strausser of Applied Innovation (Sept. 13).

🎉 Congratulations to the following for starting their new positions: Stephanie McCrystal, who joined Halsted Financial as an Account Manager, and Tonya Roy, who joined ARS National Services as Specialty Manager.

There are two types of consumers who dispute a debt: those who do so because they are genuinely confused and those who do so because they are trying to trap collectors into making a mistake. Some of tha language that consumers use when disputing a debt is only getting more creative.

Staying on top of the trends and knowing what consumers and their attorneys are doing to try and bait collectors is paramount for companies in the credit and collection industry. hashtag#ComplianceCon2025 will have sessions dedicating to litigation updates, discussions on what consumer attorneys are focusing on, and how to identify and investigate disputes, among other sessions.

ComplianceCon is your chance to stay up-to-date on all the important trends and rulemakings to make sure you don't fall behind.

🔖 🎓 Now with CLE Credits!

FCRA, FDCPA, and State Law Claims All Fail in Case Against Debt Buyer and CRA

  • When you see a 17-page ruling from a District Court judge granting a motion to dismiss claims that defendants violated the Fair Credit Reporting Act and Fair Debt Collection Practices Act you think there might be something juicy or nuanced or interesting to the case, but in this suit, it took the judge 17 pages to lay out why the plaintiff did not state a claim that the statutes were violated.Queen v. LVNV Funding

  • More details here.

A MESSAGE FROM TCN

TODAY‘S WEBINAR

UPCOMING WEBINARS

California Lawmakers Send Sweeping AI Safety Bill to Newsom’s Desk

  • California’s legislature has approved SB 53, a landmark artificial intelligence bill that sets new transparency and accountability requirements for large AI developers, and putting Gov. Gavin Newsom in the hot seat as the state continues to chart its own course on tech regulation.

  • More details here.

The Right Way to Use AI to Scale Customer Experience

  • Swedish BNPL giant Klarna’s $15 billion IPO wasn’t just about raising capital. It highlighted how one of the most-watched fintechs is recalibrating its artificial intelligence strategy. This should serve as a signal for banks, credit unions, and collection operations considering similar moves.

  • More details here.

Compliance Digest – September 16

  • Who’s winning? Who’s losing? Who’s tied? You can see a thumbs up or thumbs down and get a high-level overview of what’s going on, but when it comes to making decisions, you need to get lower. That’s where the Compliance Digest comes in. This week, Rick Perr, Brit Suttell, Brooke Conkle, Justin Penn, and Caren Enloe tell you what you need to know about recent court rulings and compliance updates, to help you make informed decisions.

  • More details here.

  • This series is sponsored by Bedard Law Group

DCM Services Welcomes Tim Fleury as Chief of Staff

  • DCM Services is pleased to announce the appointment of Tim Fleury as Chief of Staff. In this role, Tim will support executive leadership, drive organizational alignment, and oversee key strategic initiatives to further strengthen DCMS’s market leadership and client partnerships.

  • More details here.

WORTH NOTING: Can you tell the difference between a human voice and an AI one? Take this test to find out ... Consumers are going to be more "deliberate" about their holiday spending this year ... Just how many people in the United States didn't have health insurance last year? ... The states where people pay the most for car insurance ... If you are expecting a pay raise next year, don't hold your breath ... A lot of parents are asleep at the wheel when it comes to how and how much their kids are spending online ... A record number of federal lawmakers aren't running for re-election next year. Here is a list ... The Girl Scouts are making changes to its cookie line-up.

Music Monday, part I

Music Monday, Part II

Webinar Recap: Dealing with Sovereign Citizen Situations

The latest AccountsRecovery.net webinar tackled one of the more unusual challenges in collections: dealing with consumers who identify as sovereign citizens. These individuals reject the authority of government and the legal system, often attempting to use pseudo-legal documents, misinterpretations of the Uniform Commercial Code (UCC), or fabricated filings to dispute debts.

Panelists Wade Isbell (Professional Credit Service), Justin Penn (Hinshaw & Culbertson), and Jeffrey Turner (Surdyk, Dowd & Turner) explained how sovereign citizens can complicate collections and litigation. They emphasized the importance of early identification, avoiding unnecessary engagement, and escalating cases to compliance or legal teams quickly.

While courts increasingly dismiss sovereign citizen defenses, these cases can drain time and resources. Collectors and creditors must balance principle with practicality—sometimes it’s not worth pursuing a claim if the cost outweighs the potential recovery.

🧠 Key Takeaways:

  • Train staff to recognize red flags early.
    Watch for buzzwords, unusual filings, pseudo-legal documents, or unique “notary” stamps. Quarantine these accounts and escalate them immediately.

  • Avoid debate or persuasion attempts.
    Sovereign citizens are not likely to be convinced. Train collectors to disengage rather than argue, and route communications through compliance or legal teams.

  • Make business-driven decisions.
    Consider litigation costs, debtor assets, and likelihood of payment before pursuing. With high balances, judgments may be worthwhile, but smaller cases often aren’t.

This session underscored the need for practical risk management when facing sovereign citizens: recognize quickly, avoid unnecessary conflict, and focus resources where recovery is realistic.

The Daily Digest is sponsored by TCN