Daily Digest – March 22. Americans Die With $62K in Debt; Judge Dismisses CFPB Case Against Payment Processor

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JUDGE DISMISSES CFPB CASE AGAINST PAYMENT PROCESSOR

• A federal judge in North Dakota has dismissed charges made by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau against a payment processor that it “systematically enabled” customers, including debt collectors, to make illegal withdrawals from the bank accounts of individuals. The judge dismissed the charges against Intercept Corp., saying the CFPB failed to provide sufficient evidence to prove its claims. The CFPB can appeal the decision or re-file the case at a later date, should it so choose. A published report says it is unusual for a case filed by the government to be dismissed at such an early stage.

AMERICANS DIE WITH $62K IN DEBT: EXPERIAN

• The average American has about $62,000 in debt when they die, according to data released by Experian. One in four people have a balance on their auto loan when they die, according to the report.

JUDGE RULES AGENCY’S SOFTWARE NOT AN AUTODIALER

• A federal judge in Michigan has ruled a collection agency was not using an autodialer when it called the cell phone of an individual dozens of times. The court agreed that the system used by the agency, LiveVox’s Human Call Initiator, required human intervention for a call to be placed. The case joins a growing number of other rulings that have determined advanced methods for contacting consumers are not automatically considered to be autodialers.

ABI FORMS COMMISSION TO EXAMINE CONSUMER BANKRUPTCY

• The American Bankruptcy Institute has created a commission to examine the future of consumer bankruptcy filings. The objective of the commission will be to “modernize the consumer bankruptcy system with practical and cost-effective recommendations,” according to a press release announcing its formation.

15 THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT HOSPITAL BILLING

• More healthcare facilities are planning to outsource their revenue cycle management functions during the next few years, according to a survey. That is just one of 15 facts about revenue cycle management published in a report.

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The Daily Digest is sponsored by TCN, a leading provider of cloud-based call center technology for enterprises, contact centers, BPOs, and collection agencies worldwide.