The Bad News: A new report outlines the number of people being pursued by debt collectors is now 1 in 7 (This is double what it was in 2000, which was 1 in 14*). Many people faced with harassing debt collectors suffer in silence, but you are definitely not alone. With the rising cost of everything from food to housing, more and more people are struggling. With the rise of debt collection, the number of people having their rights violated has also grown. The most common violations of the federal Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (“FDCPA”) include threatening calls, repeated calls, contacting third parties about the debt and calling before 8am or after 9pm.

The Better News: The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (“CFPB”), a government consumer advocate, is proposing new rules to regulate the debt collecting industry. For the first time, large debt collectors and credit reporting companies would have Uncle Sam looking over their shoulder to guarantee that people were being treated fairly. “Debt collectors and credit reporting agencies have gone unsupervised by the federal government for too long,” said Richard Cordray, director of the CFPB agency. You can visit their website at www.consumerfinance.gov. The aim is to make the rule official by July, the two-year anniversary of the agency’s creation.

The Best News: Consumers have laws to protect them. The Fair Debt Collection Practices Act allows consumers to hire lawyers who can sue debt collectors for violating the law. At Michigan Consumer Credit Lawyers, we have filed hundreds of these lawsuits and they cost our clients, nothing. We fight the debt collectors that harass and intimidate consumers, and we do it all for FREE. We make them stop the harassing calls immediately and get you paid. The consumer walks away with a measure of justice and a check from the debt collector. In our office, we often are able to have the debt reduced or eliminated as well.

If you have been victimized by a debt collector or have items on your credit report that are incorrect, call or email Attorney Gary Nitzkin for a free consultation, toll free at (888) 293-2882. For more information about your credit rights as a consumer, visit our blog at www.micreditlawyer.com/blog. Visit our website at www.micreditlawyer.com for informative, how to videos on consumer financial protection.

*Source: The Federal Reserve’s Quarterly Release on Household Debt and Credit