Some quick links to start your Monday. Why collection rates are so low when it comes to medical debts … Behind the FBI’s idea to require PIN numbers on credit card transactions … Inside a meeting of Workaholics Anonymous … A new study reveals that it’s better for unemployed workers to stay unemployed while looking for a job than it is to take a job they are over-qualified for … Behind the scenes of a New York Times article on the effects of arbitration clauses … An E. Coli scare closes 43 Chipotle restaurants in the Northwest … Health insurers are struggling to make profits in the wake of the Affordable Care Act … The Kansas City Royals have a flare for the dramatic … What young people are spending money on across the country … The most underrated colleges in America … The proven way to be more successful … Scientific ways to make yourself smarter.
NEWS
- The federal government appears ready to explicitly acknowledge that automated dialing technology should be a part of an effective collections strategy. The Senate on Friday passed its version of the federal budget on Friday and it includes a provision that would allow companies collecting federal student loans on behalf of the government to use automated dialers in their collection efforts.
- An advocacy group that aims to protect the rights of taxpayers has come out in favor of a proposal that would allow the Internal Revenue Service to outsource its collection efforts of unpaid taxes to private contractors. Doing so would allow the IRS to focus more of its attention on enforcement and making sure everyone pays their taxes, according to the advocacy group.
- Al Molinaro, famous for his role as Al on “Happy Days,” passed away last week at the age of 96. What I didn’t know about him, and what many may not have known, is that while he was getting his start in television during the 1960s and 1970s, he owned a collection agency and was a real estate developer.
- The Massachusetts legislature is considering legislation that would establish a three year statute of limitations, prohibit revival upon payment, and limit how much can be garnished.
Let’s start the week with a little humor: Every press conference … Ever
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