The California Department of Financial Protection & Innovation yesterday announced it has sent desist-and-refrain orders to five different collection operations, accusing them of operating in the state without applying for a license and other unlawful and deceptive acts and practices. The five operations are: Amherst and Associates Clayton Banner and …
Read More »California to Start Issuing Conditional Licenses in January; Safe Harbor to Expire December 31
The California Department of Financial Protection and Innovation plans to start issuing conditional licenses to companies that have applied under the state’s debt collection licensing law on January 1, 2023, and will end the safe harbor allowing companies that have applied for a license to continue to collect in the …
Read More »California AG Issues $1.2M Fine for CCPA Violation
The Attorney General of California has fined a retailer $1.2 million to resolve allegations it violated the California Consumer Privacy Act, while also announcing that other businesses are being notified of not complying with the CCPA, specifically failing to process consumer opt-out requests made via user-enabled global privacy controls. A …
Read More »CAC Launches Letter Writing Campaign to Show Opposition to SB 1477
The California Association of Collectors has started a grassroots effort to get participants in the accounts receivable management industry to share their feelings about a bill being considered in the state legislature that would protect more of consumers’ assets from garnishments and judgments. The CAC is asking those opposed to …
Read More »California Licenses ‘Unavoidably Delayed’ Thanks to Need for Changes to Background Checks: DFPI
The California Department of Financial Protection and Innovation sent out an update yesterday, announcing that the issuance of licenses to companies that applied for debt collection licenses has been “unavoidably delayed” because of changes that need to be made when requesting federal background checks. The DFPI did not provide a …
Read More »Bill Introduced in California to Lower Judgment Interest Rate, Restrict Renewals
A bill has been introduced in the California legislature that would significantly lower the amount of judgment interest that can be assessed on unpaid consumer and personal debt while also restricting the renewal of judgments. A copy of the bill, SB 1200, which was introduced by state Sen. Nancy Skinner …
Read More »Bill Introduced in California to Expand Definition of Collection Agency Under State Licensing Law
The Debt Collection Licensing Act in California has been in effect for a month and already changes are being proposed, in the form of expanding the definition of what constitutes a collection agency. A bill has been introduced in the state Assembly that would broaden the definition of a collection …
Read More »Calif. DFPI to Get $7M More in Proposed Budget
The Governor of California has earmarked more than $11 million of the budget for the state’s Department of Financial Protection & Innovation to “protect consumers and ensure transparency of the debt collector industry through strong government oversight and data collection.” The item was part of Gov. Gavin Newsom’s $286 billion …
Read More »January 1 Means New Laws Now in Effect
Along with college football and resolutions, January 1 is also a day when new laws often take effect, and there are some that went into effect that apply to the accounts receivable management industry. At the federal level, the No Surprises Act is now in effect, even though a lawsuit …
Read More »‘Unprecedented’ Volume of Account Requests Causing Slowdown at NMLS As Companies Try to File California Licensing Applications
Much like the days leading up to Christmas are when Santa Claus and his elves really feel the crush of getting everything ready, and much like the industry felt in the days leading up to the enactment of Regulation F last month, the Nationwide Multistate Licensing System is seeing an …
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