A debt buyer is a firm that purchases debt from another company, usually a creditor or bank, at a deeply discounted rate. The debt purchaser then attempts to collect the debt through its own operations or through the use of a third-party debt collection agency. Some debt buyers may sell all or part of the debt to another party at a profit. Most debt buyers are small and privately held, though there is a handful of publicly traded debt buying companies. Recent changes in law and legal rulings have seen the debt buying industry regulated like collection agencies, or servicers of debt, rather than creditors, or owners of the debt. Debt buyers must adhere to the FDCPA.

See all Topics
Illustration of a map of united states in blue [Image by creator smarques27 from AdobeStock]

RIP Medical Debt Picks Up Steam With National Attention

5 March 2018

Stage curtain slightly opening [Image by creator yodiyim from AdobeStock]

Stirling Capital Management to Become Stirling Capital Advisors

12 February 2018

Chairs around large table [Image by creator peterschreiber.media from AdobeStock]

RMA Elects Directors and Officers

12 February 2018

New Website Makes Responding to Collection Lawsuits Easier for Consumers

24 January 2018

Blind justice figurine in font of old fashioned books [Image by creator Kaspars Grinvalds from AdobeStock]

Perfect Storm Coalesces as Division of Banks, Debt Buyers and Consumer Lawyers Await Decision in Massachusetts

16 January 2018

File drawer with one folder in focus, labeled "Court Decisions" [Image by creator tashatuvango from AdobeStock]

Indiana District Court Adopts Supreme Court's Analysis of Definition of a Debt Collector

31 October 2017

Court Rules Verification Docs Fulfill “Least Sophisticated Consumer” Standard

21 September 2017

Photo of a leather folio with a report sticking out that says "Earnings" [Image by creator ojiozu from AdobeStock]

Encore Capital Group Announces Q2 Results, Provides Views on State of the Industry

8 August 2017

File drawer with one folder in focus, labeled "Dismissed" [Image by creator tashatuvango from AdobeStock]

Two FDCPA Class Actions Dismissed, Citing Supreme Court Ruling in Midland v. Johnson

3 August 2017

Massachusetts Attorney General Announces Consent Agreement with Debt Collection Law Firm

27 July 2017

Oregon Debt Collection Bill Passes House and Senate

26 July 2017

An illustration of an award ribbon above the word "CERTIFIED" [Image by creator Rawpixel.com from AdobeStock]

RMA Expands Certification Program; Includes Judgments

25 July 2017

Flock Deployments Hit $13 Million in June

17 July 2017

House Subcommittee Considers Bills, Including Debt Collection

13 July 2017

Oregon Passes New Debt Buyer Legislation

6 July 2017

Maine Adopts New Law for Debt Buyers

21 June 2017

U.S. Supreme Court Holds Debt Purchaser Collecting Its Own Debt Is Not Subject to FDCPA

13 June 2017

 [Image by creator Frank Fennema from AdobeStock]

Industry Association Urges Caution When Interpreting Santander Decision

13 June 2017

An animated image of a judge facing two lawyers in court [Image by creator cookart from AdobeStock]

Court Sides With Collector on Out-of-Stat Disclosure

7 June 2017

Photo of courthouse building with "judicial" written on it [Image by creator Natalia Bratslavsky from AdobeStock]

U.S. Supreme Court Rejects FDCPA Liability in Bankruptcy Proceeding

17 May 2017