FTC to Host Debt Collection Workshop this Year

The Federal Trade Commission staff will host a workshop on October 10-11, 2007, to learn about changes in the debt collection industry and to examine how those changes have affected consumers and businesses. The event will bring together consumer advocates, industry representatives, state and federal regulators, and market authorities to provide information on a range of issues, including the effects of technological and economic trends on how consumer debts are collected, and the extent to which the law has kept pace with developments during the past 30 years.

To aid preparation for the workshop, FTC staff welcomes original research, surveys, and academic papers regarding consumer debt collection issues. These materials are due by September 7. More information on the workshop will be forthcoming shortly.

The workshop is free and open to the public; it will be held at the FTC’s Satellite Building Conference Center, 601 New Jersey Avenue, NW, Washington, DC.