All Issues

Debt & Bankruptcy

Debt collectors hound struggling families. Debt settlement and relief services are too often scams. Medical debt and criminal justice fines and fees push people further behind. And access to the fresh start in bankruptcy can be difficult for some. NCLC works to protect financially distressed families and to give them the opportunity to recover.

Key Topics

Bankruptcy

Improving access to bankruptcy for low-income consumers and expanding the relief available.

Consumer Protections for Renters

Protecting renters from abuses in tenant screening, rental debt collection, junk fees, and more.

Criminal Justice Debt, Fines & Fees

Addressing harmful debts resulting from criminal justice system involvement.

Debt Collection

Protecting consumers from abusive debt collection practices.

Debt Settlement & Relief Services

Striving to protect consumers from deceptive debt settlement and relief services.

Medical Debt

Working to reduce the burden of medical debt on individuals and families.

Featured

Recent Resources

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Comments Regarding New York City’s 2023 Proposed Amendments to Rules Related to Debt Collectors

November 29, 2023

California Law Removes Vestiges of Debtors’ Prisons; Other States Urged to Follow Suit 

October 17, 2023

Consumer Bureau Announces Groundbreaking Plan to Protect Americans from the Devastating Effects of Medical Debt

September 21, 2023

Bloomberg Law: Banks Warn CFPB to Back Off on Scrutiny of Medical Credit Cards

September 18, 2023

Written Testimony on Nursing Home Debt Collection in New York for the Chief Judge’s 2023 Civil Legal Services Hearing

September 13, 2023

Comments in Response to CFPB, HHS, and Treasury Request for Information Regarding Medical Payment Products

September 11, 2023

CNN: Arkansas hospital sued thousands of patients over medical bills during the pandemic, including hundreds of its own employees

September 8, 2023

FAQs: Can a Nursing Home Force a Resident’s Family and Friends to Pay the Bill?

September 7, 2023

Politico: State lawmakers find America’s medical debt problem ‘can no longer be ignored’

September 7, 2023

Comments & Letters

View All for Comments & Letters
Comments Regarding New York City’s 2023 Proposed Amendments to Rules Related to Debt Collectors

November 29, 2023

Comments in Response to CFPB, HHS, and Treasury Request for Information Regarding Medical Payment Products

September 11, 2023

Comments to New York Department of Financial Services Regarding Draft of Revised Proposed Amendment to 23 NYCRR 1

February 13, 2023

Comments Regarding New York City’s Proposed Amendments to Rules Related to Debt Collectors

December 19, 2022

Group Letter to MA House Regarding S. 2858/H. 4749: the Debt Collection Fairness Act

June 30, 2022

Group Letter to MA Senate Regarding S. 2858/H. 4749: the Debt Collection Fairness Act

June 30, 2022

Letter to Rohit Chopra Regarding Additional Actions the CFPB Should Take to Protect Consumers with Medical Debt

March 22, 2022

NCLC Comments to the Advisory Committee on Bankruptcy Rules Concerning Proposed Changes to the Mortgage Claim Rule

February 15, 2022

NCLC Comments to DOJ Regarding Policy Initiatives Concerning the Ability of Americans in Financial Distress to Access the Bankruptcy System

January 7, 2022

Reports

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An Ounce of Prevention: A Review of Hospital Financial Assistance Policies in the States

August 25, 2023

Don’t Add Further Insult to Injury: Medical Debt & Credit Reports

January 6, 2023

No Fresh Start 2022: Will States Let Debt Collectors Push Families Into Poverty as the Cost of Necessities Soars?

December 21, 2022

Unfair Debts With No Way Out: Consumers Share Their Experiences With Rental Debt Collectors

October 7, 2022

The Racial Health and Wealth Gap: Impact of Medical Debt on Black Families

March 9, 2022

Sentenced to a Life of Debt: It Is Time for a Reassessment of How Bankruptcy Law Intersects with Fines and Fees to Keep People in Debt

February 16, 2022

The High Cost of a Fresh Start: A State-by-State Analysis of Court Debt as a Bar to Record Clearing

February 1, 2022

Collecting Criminal Justice Debt Through the State Civil Justice System

May 12, 2021

No Fresh Start 2020: Will States Let Debt Collectors Push Families Into Poverty in the Wake of a Pandemic?

October 29, 2020

Issue Briefs

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Consumer Protection and Court-Sponsored Online Dispute Resolution in Collection Lawsuits

September 1, 2023

Protecting Older Adults from Surprise Medical Bills

July 31, 2023

New Process to Discharge Student Loans in Bankruptcy

March 7, 2023

2023 Consumer Protection Federal Priorities

January 13, 2023

H.R.9224: Protecting Wages of Essential Workers Act of 2022

October 27, 2022

Pandemic Lawsuits in California: Credit Card Issuers & Debt Buyers Top Litigants in 2021

July 15, 2022

Why We Need the Debt Collection Fairness Act

March 9, 2022

2022 Consumer Protection Federal Priorities

February 18, 2022

Assisting Consumers with Rental Debt During COVID-19: Legal Aid and Non-Profit Attorneys Share Their Experiences

December 14, 2021

Testimony

View All for Testimony
Written Testimony on Nursing Home Debt Collection in New York for the Chief Judge’s 2023 Civil Legal Services Hearing

September 13, 2023

Letter Supporting California’s AB 1119

March 16, 2023

Testimony on House Bill 5427

March 10, 2020

Testimony Before Joint Financial Services Committee in Support of S.578/H.919: An Act Relative to Fairness in Debt Collection.

May 2, 2019

Testimony in Support of House Bill 3076

April 29, 2019

Testimony Before the Judiciary Committee of the Connecticut General Assembly, 2019 Regular Session

March 25, 2019

GAO Testimony Regarding Debt Settlement: Fraudulent, Abusive, and Deceptive Practices Pose Risk to Consumers

April 22, 2010

Testimony Responding to the Proposed Amendments to the Massachusetts Rules of Civil Procedure Regarding Credit Card Debts

Press Releases & News

View All for Press Releases & News
California Law Removes Vestiges of Debtors’ Prisons; Other States Urged to Follow Suit 

October 17, 2023

Consumer Bureau Announces Groundbreaking Plan to Protect Americans from the Devastating Effects of Medical Debt

September 21, 2023

Bloomberg Law: Banks Warn CFPB to Back Off on Scrutiny of Medical Credit Cards

September 18, 2023

CNN: Arkansas hospital sued thousands of patients over medical bills during the pandemic, including hundreds of its own employees

September 8, 2023

Politico: State lawmakers find America’s medical debt problem ‘can no longer be ignored’

September 7, 2023

NPR: She paid her husband’s hospital bill. A year after his death, they wanted more money

August 29, 2023

Digital Library: Strict New Limits on Prerecorded Debt Collection Calls Effective July 20

July 20, 2023

NPR: The hospital bills didn’t find her, but a lawsuit did — plus interest

June 27, 2023

NPR: Life and Debt: Getting the hospital bill

May 17, 2023

Amicus Briefs

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Amicus Brief in Salcedo v. Hanna

September 25, 2019

Slip Opinion in Obduskey v. Mccarthy & Holthus LLP

March 20, 2019

Rotkiske v. Klemm

January 8, 2019

Amicus Brief in Ricky Henson, et. al C. Santander Consumer USA, Inc.

February 24, 2017

Amicus Brief in Sheriff v. Gillie

March 2, 2016

Amicus Brief in Marx v. General Revenue Corporation

April 27, 2012

Amicus Brief in United States Aid Funds, Inc. v. Espinosa

October 20, 2009

Amicus Brief in Jerman v. Carlisle

September 28, 2009

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