Only the original creditor can report you as 30, 60, 90 or even 120 days late, a collection agency should not be reporting late payments on your credit report.

Debt collector’s have a policy for using Facebook to locate debtors, many times it is their first step.

Chase Bank has been temporarily prohibited from filing lawsuits against delinquent credit card customers due to false and inaccurate data used to file lawsuits.

For years credit bureaus have gone unregulated while the debt collection industry boldly ignored rules until the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau stepped in.

Be careful, that new credit card offer from a debt collector may come with an old, expired debt attached to it under their balance transfer program.

When deciding to settle a debt with a collection agency save money by offering less and negotiate a deletion of the account from your credit reports.

When a case is “dismissed with prejudice” you have won the case, you no longer owe the debt and the account should be deleted from your credit reports.

If you decide to pay a debt collector they cannot force you to pay by bank account, ach withdrawal, credit, debit or prepaid card, western union or moneygram

If you want to stay on top of the status of a debt with a collection agency, using the words “cease and desist” is never a good idea. Learn what phrasing is better if you want written contact only.

Typically a collection agency is entitled to collect interest and fees if the debtor agreed to such terms under the original contract with the creditor and if your State’s statutes allow for such.

Portfolio Recovery and LVNV Funding are two of the worst bottom feeder debt collectors and it may take several strategies to delete them from your credit report.

Debt collectors may sue you for a debt even if they have not properly validated the debt

If you discover a collection account on your credit report there are a few strategies you can use to have them deleted.

It is not illegal for a debt collector to send you an email but there are reasons why you should not agree

Contacting a collection agency, whether it be to discuss payment, make payment arrangements or dispute the debt does not change the date the debt will drop off from your credit reports.

Having trouble with Debt Collectors? Some debt collectors will engage in unethical tactics to collect debts so you need to know your rights and how to deal with them effectively. Read more

Thinking about paying a collection account? Your credit scores may not improve unless you get the collection account deleted with a pay for deletion agreement.

Paying old collection debt may give you peace of mind but it will probably do nothing but lower your credit scores.

The Supreme Court has made it more difficult for debt collectors to claim ignorance of law as a defense when sued by consumers.

Deleting a collection account from your credit reports will give your credit score a big boost. Find out what you should know before disputing collection accounts.