FTC Launching Series of Live "Dialogues" with Debt Collection Industry; New York Up First

The Federal Trade Commission announced Thursday that it is launching a series of “Debt Collection Dialogues” around the country. The meetings will feature representatives from the FTC and other regulators and will specifically focus on questions and comments from members of the debt collection industry.

The first dialogue meeting will be held in Buffalo, N.Y. on June 15. The event is being jointly conducted with New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman’s office. The FTC noted that a representative from the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) will participate as well.

According to the FTC, the event will feature regulators discussing “recent enforcement actions, consumer complaints about debt collection practices, and compliance issues.” The speakers will welcome questions and comments from collection industry members and others who attend.

Indeed, the series is being billed as “Debt Collection Dialogue: A conservation between government and business.” The free events, open to the public, are a perfect opportunity for ARM professionals to ask direct questions of regulators from the federal and state levels.

ARM industry groups have already signaled their willingness to participate, with both ACA International and DBA International sending out alerts to members regarding the announcement.

The Buffalo meeting is scheduled for 1:30pm to 4pm June 15 in the Burchfield Penney Art Center at SUNY Buffalo State, 1300 Elmwood Avenue, Buffalo, NY. Pre-registration is required and the FTC has set up a page with more information and registration instructions: www.ftc.gov/DebtCollectionDialogue

In the coming months, the FTC expects to hold additional dialogues, including events in Dallas and Atlanta. Specific information for those two events is not yet available.