Julia Kagan is a financial/consumer journalist and former senior editor, personal finance, of Investopedia. Thomas J. Brock is a CFA and CPA with more than 20 years of experience in various areas ...

Certain business models seem to have unshakable stigmas associated with them. Sometimes it’s deserved, such as from decades of unethical or sneaky behavior by players in the industry, and in other ...

Key Takeaways Commercial debt collection agencies typically charge contingency fees ranging from 15% to 50% of ...

The debt collection industry was estimated to be in excess of $13.4B in 2021 with over 7,000 collection agencies. With such fragmentation in the industry, practices by collectors vary widely and the ...

We may receive commissions from some links to products on this page. Promotions are subject to availability and retailer terms. While weighing their options, some borrowers may stumble on an ...

Medical debt regulations are shifting dramatically in 2026, with states banning credit reporting and federal rules in limbo. If you’re a healthcare provider, the old collection playbook might soon ...

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau on Friday ordered Commonwealth Financial Systems, a debt collection agency specializing in medical debt, to shut down as a result of what CFPB determined were ...