WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (Bureau) today issued a final rule to restate and clarify prohibitions on harassment and abuse, false or misleading representations, and unfair practices by debt collectors when collecting consumer debt. The rule focuses on debt collection communications and gives consumers more control over how often and through what means debt collectors can communicate with them regarding their debts. The rule also clarifies how the protections of the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA), which was passed in 1977, apply to newer communication technologies, such as email and text messages.

The rule is the result of a deliberative, thoughtful process spanning more than seven years and reflects engagement with consumer advocates, debt collectors, and other stakeholders. Further, in developing the final rule, the Bureau considered the more than 14,000 comments received during the public comment and rulemaking process. As a result of this feedback, for example, the rule establishes a presumption on the number of calls debt collectors may place to reach consumers on a weekly basis. A debt collector is presumed to violate federal law if the debt collector places telephone calls to a particular person in connection with the collection of a particular debt more than seven times within seven consecutive days or within seven consecutive days of having had a telephone conversation about the debt.

Imposter calls once again top list of complaint topics in the past year

The Federal Trade Commission today issued the National Do Not Call Registry Data Book for Fiscal Year 2020. The FTC’s National Do Not Call (DNC) Registry lets consumers choose not to receive most legal telemarketing calls. The data show that the number of active registrations on the DNC Registry increased by two million over the past year, while the total number of consumer complaints decreased for the third year in a row.

Now in its twelfth year of publication, the Data Book contains information about the DNC Registry for FY 2020 (from October 1, 2019 to September 30, 2020). The Data Book provides the most recent fiscal year information available on robocall complaints, the types of calls consumers reported to the FTC, and a complete state-by-state analysis.

Record unemployment levels have shifted individuals from employer-sponsored or other insurance coverage

The number of Americans on Medicaid continues to rise as people lose their insurance during the economic downturn, but policy experts disagree on how much additional funding states facing higher costs may need. 

National enrollment in Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program jumped by 4 million between February and June, an increase of almost 6 percent, according to Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services data released recently.

Record unemployment levels have shifted individuals from employer-sponsored or other coverage to Medicaid, the nation’s program for low-income individuals. 

NEW YORK — An appeals court on Tuesday upheld the conviction and 10-year sentence for a man who ran a $220 million predatory payday lending operation that cheated over a half-million people nationwide.

The ruling by the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Manhattan kept intact the 2018 sentencing of Richard Moseley Sr., of Kansas City, Missouri.

The appeals court said Moseley's arguments were "unpersuasive."

Moseley, 76, was convicted in 2017 of racketeering, fraud and identity theft for crimes committed while he ran the company from 2004 to 2014.