Finance

It is true that Americans with outstanding debts will usually suffer from a number of punishments. Collection letters, phone calls, unfavorable credit scores and a chance to wind up in court are examples of retributions for non-compliance.

Think back to just a few short years ago, banks were on a lending spree, corporate lines of credit were being issued in record volume and companies were able to raise equity and debt capital with reasonable ease; then came the banking crash which unfortunately brought on an entirely new group of scams preyed on the innocent and naive small business owner which damaged the economy that much more.

Exactly who is trying to get me to pay up? The Fair Debt Collection Practices Act was created in the 1970s and provided a good amount of protections for consumers. There are strict rules and regulations that a debt collector must abide by, and if any of these regulations are violated, there’s a good chance that you could sue that agency. But what about that friend of yours who owes you five dollars? Do you have to grant them thirty days to refute the claim? Clearly, you do not.