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 Seeks New Members for Debt Collection Committee
California’s Department of Financial Protection & Innovation is seeking candidates to serve on its Debt Collection Advisory Committee. Seven members were selected back in 2021 to server two-year terms and those terms are about to expire. The DFPI is looking for individuals who can serve a two-year term from 2023 …
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 »DFPI Invites Comments on Rulemaking Related to State Licensing Law
The California Department of Financial Protection and Innovation on Friday released draft text of a rulemaking related to the scope, annual report, and document retention requirements of the state’s Debt Collection Licensing Act. Comments on the proposal are due by August 29 and may be submitted electronically or in writing. …
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 »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 »‘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 …
Read More »DFPI Debt Collection Advisory Committee to Hold Public Meeting Next Week
The California Department of Financial Protection and Innovation has announced that its Debt Collection Advisory Committee will hold a public meeting on Thursday, December 16 at 3:00pm PT. The meeting comes two weeks before the state enacts a new debt collection licensing law, which will go into effect on January …
Read More »Advocates on DFPI Debt Collection Committee Make Suggestions to Reform Legal Collections
The two consumer advocates on the California Department of Financial Protection and Innovation’s Debt Collection Advisory Committee have come out and made two recommendations to protect Californians “from illegal collection practices and lawsuits.” The two advocates — Prasad Krishnamurthy, a professor of law at the UC Berkeley School of Law, …
Read More »DFPI Issues Proposed Rules Related to Consumer Complaints
The California Department of Financial Protection and Innovation is inviting comments on a proposed rule that will address how consumer complaints are handled in relation to the California Consumer Financial Protection Law (CCFPL). Under the law, covered persons will be required to develop written policies and procedures detailing how consumers …
Read More »