Debt for Sale

Debt for Sale PDF Author: Brett Williams
Publisher: University of Pennsylvania Press
ISBN: 0812200780
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 161

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Book Description
Credit and debt appear to be natural, permanent facets of Americans' lives, but a debt-based economy and debt-financed lifestyles are actually recent inventions. In 1951 Diners Club issued a plastic card that enabled patrons to pay for their meals at select New York City restaurants at the end of each month. Soon other "charge cards" (as they were then known) offered the convenience for travelers throughout the United States to pay for hotels, food, and entertainment on credit. In the 1970s the advent of computers and the deregulation of banking created an explosion in credit card use—and consumer debt. With gigantic national banks and computer systems that allowed variable interest rates, consumer screening, mass mailings, and methods to discipline slow payers with penalties and fees, middle-class Americans experienced a sea change in their lives. Given the enormous profits from issuing credit, banks and chain stores used aggressive marketing to reach Americans experiencing such crises as divorce or unemployment, to help them make ends meet or to persuade them that they could live beyond their means. After banks exhausted the profits from this group of people, they moved into the market for college credit cards and student loans and then into predatory lending (through check-cashing stores and pawnshops) to the poor. In 2003, Americans owed nearly $8 trillion in consumer debt, amounting to 130 percent of their average disposable income. The role of credit and debt in people's lives is one of the most important social and economic issues of our age. Brett Williams provides a sobering and frank investigation of the credit industry and how it came to dominate the lives of most Americans by propelling the social changes that are enacted when an economy is based on debt. Williams argues that credit and debt act to obscure, reproduce, and exacerbate other inequalities. It is in the best interest of the banks, corporations, and their shareholders to keep consumer debt at high levels. By targeting low-income and young people who would not be eligible for credit in other businesses, these companies are able quickly to gain a stranglehold on the finances of millions. Throughout, Williams provides firsthand accounts of how Americans from all socioeconomic levels use credit. These vignettes complement the history and technical issues of the credit industry, including strategies people use to manage debt, how credit functions in their lives, how they understand their own indebtedness, and the sometimes tragic impact of massive debt on people's lives.

Debt for Sale

Debt for Sale PDF Author: Brett Williams
Publisher: University of Pennsylvania Press
ISBN: 0812200780
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 161

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Book Description
Credit and debt appear to be natural, permanent facets of Americans' lives, but a debt-based economy and debt-financed lifestyles are actually recent inventions. In 1951 Diners Club issued a plastic card that enabled patrons to pay for their meals at select New York City restaurants at the end of each month. Soon other "charge cards" (as they were then known) offered the convenience for travelers throughout the United States to pay for hotels, food, and entertainment on credit. In the 1970s the advent of computers and the deregulation of banking created an explosion in credit card use—and consumer debt. With gigantic national banks and computer systems that allowed variable interest rates, consumer screening, mass mailings, and methods to discipline slow payers with penalties and fees, middle-class Americans experienced a sea change in their lives. Given the enormous profits from issuing credit, banks and chain stores used aggressive marketing to reach Americans experiencing such crises as divorce or unemployment, to help them make ends meet or to persuade them that they could live beyond their means. After banks exhausted the profits from this group of people, they moved into the market for college credit cards and student loans and then into predatory lending (through check-cashing stores and pawnshops) to the poor. In 2003, Americans owed nearly $8 trillion in consumer debt, amounting to 130 percent of their average disposable income. The role of credit and debt in people's lives is one of the most important social and economic issues of our age. Brett Williams provides a sobering and frank investigation of the credit industry and how it came to dominate the lives of most Americans by propelling the social changes that are enacted when an economy is based on debt. Williams argues that credit and debt act to obscure, reproduce, and exacerbate other inequalities. It is in the best interest of the banks, corporations, and their shareholders to keep consumer debt at high levels. By targeting low-income and young people who would not be eligible for credit in other businesses, these companies are able quickly to gain a stranglehold on the finances of millions. Throughout, Williams provides firsthand accounts of how Americans from all socioeconomic levels use credit. These vignettes complement the history and technical issues of the credit industry, including strategies people use to manage debt, how credit functions in their lives, how they understand their own indebtedness, and the sometimes tragic impact of massive debt on people's lives.

Bad Paper

Bad Paper PDF Author: Jake Halpern
Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux
ISBN: 0374711240
Category : True Crime
Languages : en
Pages : 257

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Book Description
The Federal Trade Commission receives more complaints about rogue debt collecting than about any activity besides identity theft. Dramatically and entertainingly, Bad Paper reveals why. It tells the story of Aaron Siegel, a former banking executive, and Brandon Wilson, a former armed robber, who become partners and go in quest of "paper"—the uncollected debts that are sold off by banks for pennies on the dollar. As Aaron and Brandon learn, the world of consumer debt collection is an unregulated shadowland where operators often make unwarranted threats and even collect debts that are not theirs. Introducing an unforgettable cast of strivers and rogues, Jake Halpern chronicles their lives as they manage high-pressure call centers, hunt for paper in Las Vegas casinos, and meet in parked cars to sell the social security numbers and account information of unsuspecting consumers. He also tracks a "package" of debt that is stolen by unscrupulous collectors, leading to a dramatic showdown with guns in a Buffalo corner store. Along the way, he reveals the human cost of a system that compounds the troubles of hardworking Americans and permits banks to ignore their former customers. The result is a vital exposé that is also a bravura feat of storytelling.

The Structure and Practices of the Debt Buying Industry

The Structure and Practices of the Debt Buying Industry PDF Author: Federal Trade Commission
Publisher: CreateSpace
ISBN: 9781507524565
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 160

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Book Description
In a 2009 study of the debt collection industry, the Commission concluded that the “most significant change in the debt collection business in recent years has been the advent and growth of debt buying.” “Debt buying” refers to the sale of debt by creditors or other debt owners to buyers that then attempt to collect the debt or sell it to other buyers. Debt buying can reduce the losses that creditors incur in providing credit, thereby allowing creditors to provide more credit at lower prices. Debt buying, however, also may raise significant consumer protection concerns.The FTC receives more consumer complaints about debt collectors, including debt buyers, than about any other single industry. Many of these complaints appear to have their origins in the quantity and quality of information that collectors have about debts. In its 2009 study, the Commission expressed concern that debt collectors, including debt buyers, may have insufficient or inaccurate information when they collect on debts, which may result in collectors seeking to recover from the wrong consumer or recover the wrong amount.The FTC initiated this debt buyer study in late 2009 for two main purposes. First, the FTC sought to obtain a better understanding of the debt buying market and the process of buying and selling debt. Second, the Commission wanted to explore the nature and extent of the relationship, if any, between the practice of debt buying and the types of information problems that the FTC has found can occur when debt collectors seek to recover and verify debts.Many stakeholders recognize the concerns that have been raised about debt buying, including consumer groups, members of Congress, federal and state regulatory and enforcement agencies, and the debt buyer industry itself. Indeed, the debt buyer industry has launched a self-regulatory effort to address some of these concerns, and the FTC is encouraged by that effort. This study of debt buyers is the first large-scale empirical assessment of the debt buying sector of the collection industry. The FTC hopes that its findings contribute to a greater understanding of debt buying, enhance ongoing reform efforts, and prompt further study of the industry. To conduct its study, the Commission obtained information about debts and debt buying practices from nine of the largest debt buyers that collectively bought 76.1% of the debt sold in 2008, with six of these debt buyers providing the information the Commission used in most of its analysis. The FTC also considered its prior enforcement and policy work related to debt collection, as well as available research concerning debt buying. The study focused on large debt buyers because they account for most of the debt purchased; it did not address the practices of smaller debt buyers that are a frequent source of consumer protection concerns, a limitation that must be considered in evaluating the study's findings. The Commission acquired and analyzed an unprecedented amount of data from the studied debt buyers, which submitted data on more than 5,000 portfolios, containing nearly 90 million consumer accounts, purchased during the three-year study period. These accounts had a face value of $143 billion, and the debt buyers spent nearly $6.5 billion to acquire them. Most portfolios for which debt buyers submitted data were credit card debt, with such debt accounting for 62% of all portfolios and 71% of the total amount that the buyers spent to acquire debts. In addition to these data, the debt buyers provided copies of many purchase and sale agreements between themselves and sellers of debts. The debt buyers also submitted narrative responses to questions concerning their companies and their practices, as well as the debt buying industry. The key findings of the study are as follows:

The Debt Buying Industry and Changes in Collection of Consumer Debts

The Debt Buying Industry and Changes in Collection of Consumer Debts PDF Author: Paul B. Davis
Publisher: Nova Science Publishers
ISBN: 9781626183940
Category : Collecting of accounts
Languages : en
Pages : 0

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Book Description
In a 2009 study of the debt collection industry, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) concluded that the most significant change in the debt collection business in recent years has been the advent and growth of debt buying. Debt buying refers to the sale of debt by creditors or other debt owners to buyers that then attempt to collect the debt or sell it to other buyers. Debt buying can reduce the losses that creditors incur in providing credit, thereby allowing creditors to provide more credit at lower prices. Debt buying, however, also many raise significant consumer protection concerns. The FTC receives more consumer complaints about debt collectors, including debt buyers, than about any other single industry. Many of these complaints appear to have their origins in the quantity and quality of information that collectors have about debts. This book provides an overview of the debt buying market and the process of buying and selling debt; and the nature and extent of the relationship between the practice of debt buying and the types of information that the FTC has found can occur when debt collectors seek to recover and verify debts.

Debt for Sale

Debt for Sale PDF Author: Brett Williams
Publisher: University of Pennsylvania Press
ISBN: 9780812238174
Category : Consumer credit
Languages : en
Pages : 170

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Book Description
After September 11, 2001 ordinary Americans were urged to shop. Patriotic shopping would thwart terrorists, celebrate public life, and pull us back from the abyss of recession. We needed to be good citizen-consumers, but we knew that we could not really save America by shopping. Too many of us carried too much debt.

Surviving Debt

Surviving Debt PDF Author:
Publisher:
ISBN: 9781602482043
Category : Consumer credit
Languages : en
Pages : 0

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Book Description


Debt Collections: Stir-Fried or Deep-Fried?

Debt Collections: Stir-Fried or Deep-Fried? PDF Author: Steven F. Coyle
Publisher: ServiceWinners International Publishing
ISBN: 9834262124
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 273

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Book Description
A book for business people who want to reduce bad debts while maintaining customers’ goodwill. The book shows how you can put in place processes and systems to better manage your accounts receivables and reduce bad debts. The author believes that debtors won’t pay because you want them to pay; they pay because they want to pay and it’s the debt collector’s job to advise them ‘why’ they need to pay. The book tackles poor paymasters, how to lead a collection team, and new technologies for managing receivables. The book’s sections are geared for both managerial and non-managerial staff such as collectors. The techniques and models used are easy and practical to collect you more money. The author is an American living in Malaysia since 1995. He was a collection manager at Maxis Mobile and other companies in the U.S. He shares his experience and tips in order for you to collect more money, reduce bad debts, and keep more customers. His website: www.servicewinners.com

United States Code

United States Code PDF Author: United States
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Law
Languages : en
Pages : 1508

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Book Description


Accounting and Debt Markets

Accounting and Debt Markets PDF Author: Mark Clatworthy
Publisher: Taylor & Francis
ISBN: 1000344606
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 150

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Book Description
Accounting and Debt Markets: Four Pieces on the Role of Accounting Information in Debt Markets provides novel and up-to-date evidence on the role of accounting information in debt markets Companies and organisations worldwide rely heavily on debt markets for short, medium and long-term financing, and debt markets and financial intermediaries have significant effects on the real economy. Accounting information has various functions in debt markets, including inter alia, informing pricing decisions and credit ratings, determining the allocation of creditor control rights and establishing bank capital adequacy requirements. The chapters in this book provide illustrative discussion, analysis and evidence on the importance of accounting information in credit markets. The first of the four pieces reflects on how a conservative financial reporting system helps firms obtain debt funds and with better conditions, and why this is the case. The second examines the effects of accounting disclosure on credit ratings of private companies and shows that accounting information is useful for credit rating agencies. The two final pieces reflect on how banks should account for credit losses, and on how regulators are tackling this issue. The chapters in this book were originally published as a special issue of Accounting and Business Research.

Authorizing Agencies to Sell Debts Owed to the United States

Authorizing Agencies to Sell Debts Owed to the United States PDF Author: United States. Congress. House. Committee on the Judiciary. Subcommittee on Administrative Law and Governmental Relations
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 84

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Book Description