Federal Trade Commission, Consumer Financial Protection Bureau to Co-Host Roundtable on Data Integrity in Debt Collection

The Federal Trade Commission and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau will co-host a roundtable on June 6, 2013, to examine the flow of consumer data throughout the debt collection process. The event will bring together consumer advocates, credit issuers, collection industry members, state and federal regulators, and academics to exchange information on a range of issues. Topics will include:

• the amount of documentation and other information currently available to different types of collectors and at different points in the debt collection process;
• the information needed to verify and substantiate debts;
• the costs and benefits of providing consumers with additional disclosures about their debts and debt-related rights; and
•  information issues relating to pleading and judgment in debt collection litigation.

The roundtable 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, D.C. and will also be streamed live online. An RSVP is suggested as space is limited.  To RSVP, please email only your name and affiliation (if any) to LifeofaDebt@ftc.gov.

The agenda for the roundtable is as follows:

	Life of a Debt: Data Integrity in Debt Collection June 6, 2013, at the Federal Trade Commission in Washington, D.C.
8:00-9:00 a.m.	Registration
9:00-9:30 a.m.	Welcoming Remarks
9:30-10:10 a.m.	Presentation: “Understanding the Model: The Life Cycle of a Debt”
10:10-10:30 a.m.	Presentation: “How Information Flows Throughout the Collection Process”
10:30-10:45 a.m.	Break
10:45-11:05 a.m.	Presentation: Overview of the FTC’s Debt Buyer Study
11:05-12:15 p.m.	PANEL 1: Information Available to Debt Collectors at Time of Assignment or Sale
12:15-1:00 p.m.	Lunch
1:00-2:25 p.m.	PANEL 2: Verifying Disputed Debts Under the FDCPA and Investigating Disputed Debts Under the FCRA
2:25-2:45 p.m.	Presentation: Overview of the FTC’s collection litigation and arbitration report, “Repairing a Broken System,” and changes in the law since the report’s issuance in 2010
2:45-3:00 p.m.	Break
3:00-4:20 p.m.	PANEL 3: Debt Collection Litigation
4:20-5:10 p.m.	PANEL 4: Time-Barred Debts
5:10-5:30 p.m.	Wrap-up

The Federal Trade Commission works for consumers to prevent fraudulent, deceptive, and unfair business practices and to provide information to help spot, stop, and avoid them. To file a complaint in English or Spanish, visit the FTC's online Complaint Assistant or call 1-877-FTC-HELP (1-877-382-4357). The FTC enters complaints into Consumer Sentinel, a secure, online database available to more than 2,000 civil and criminal law enforcement agencies in the U.S. and abroad. The FTC’s website provides free information on a variety of consumer topics.  Like the FTC on Facebook, follow us on Twitter, and subscribe to press releases for the latest FTC news and resources.