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.

Coerced Debt

Protecting domestic violence and trafficking survivors and older adults from financial abuse.

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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2025 Consumer Reform Priorities to Protect Tenants

April 18, 2025

What States Can Do to Help Consumers: Medical Debt

April 15, 2025

CFPB to Revoke Guidance Prohibiting Debt Collectors from Collecting Medical Debts Not Owed

April 14, 2025

S1310/A4598 Will Harm NJ Consumers

April 9, 2025

Why Debt Settlement is Bad for People in Debt

April 8, 2025

Model Medical Debt Protection Act

March 28, 2025

291 Organizations Oppose S.J. Res. 36 (Rounds), H.J. Res 74 (Norman) to overturn CFPB’s Medical Debt on Credit Reports Rule

March 25, 2025

Debt Collection Fairness Act 2025

March 17, 2025

Congress Wants Medical Debt on Credit Reports To Keep Hurting Americans

March 12, 2025

Comments & Letters

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291 Organizations Oppose S.J. Res. 36 (Rounds), H.J. Res 74 (Norman) to overturn CFPB’s Medical Debt on Credit Reports Rule

March 25, 2025

Advanced Notice of Proposed Rulemaking on the Fair Credit Reporting Act (Regulation V); Identity Theft and Coerced Debt: Comments to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau

March 7, 2025

Comments to Massachusetts Division of Banks on Proposed Amendments to Debt Collection and Mortgage Servicing Rules

November 12, 2024

Comment on Proposed Amendments to Wisconsin’s Debt Adjustment Services Rule

September 27, 2024

Suggested Amendment to Bankruptcy Rule 3001(c) Submitted to Bankruptcy Rules Committee

September 11, 2024

Comments on Proposed Medicaid and Medicare Program Rules Amending Definition of Custody for Purposes of Medicare Exclusion (CMS-1809-P)

September 9, 2024

NCLC Comments Supporting CFPB Proposal to Ban Medical Debt From Credit Reports

August 12, 2024

NCLC Petition for Rulemaking under the Equal Credit Opportunity Act to Protect Renters

August 12, 2024

Joint Comments to CMS on Medicare Current Beneficiary Survey

June 25, 2024

Reports

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Seizing the Safety Net: Collecting Criminal Justice Debt with Tax Refund Offsets

January 30, 2025

No Fresh Start: Will States Protect Families from Debt Collectors Seizing Wages and Bank Balances? (2024)

December 18, 2024

Nursing Home Debt Collection Practices Put Residents’ Family and Friends At Risk

October 30, 2024

Medical Debt Behind Bars: The Punishing Impact of Copays, Fees, and Other Carceral Medical Debt

September 6, 2024

No Fresh Start 2023: Will States Let Debt Collectors Push Families Into Poverty as Economic Uncertainty Looms?

December 11, 2023

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

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

Issue Briefs

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2025 Consumer Reform Priorities to Protect Tenants

April 18, 2025

What States Can Do to Help Consumers: Medical Debt

April 15, 2025

S1310/A4598 Will Harm NJ Consumers

April 9, 2025

Why Debt Settlement is Bad for People in Debt

April 8, 2025

Debt Collection Fairness Act 2025

March 17, 2025

State Policy Resources: Consumer Debt Collection

March 3, 2025

Selected Resources About Medical Lending Products

February 25, 2025

What States Can Do: Medical Credit Cards and Other Medical Lending Products

February 25, 2025

The CFPB Medical Debt Collection Advisory Opinion Protects Consumers from Illegal Collection Practices

February 4, 2025

Testimony

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Testimony Against Washington Debt Adjustment Bill HB 1599

February 4, 2025

Testimony in Support of HB 268 (Maryland)

January 29, 2025

Testimony in Support of HB 673 (Maryland)

February 14, 2024

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

Press Releases & News

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CFPB to Revoke Guidance Prohibiting Debt Collectors from Collecting Medical Debts Not Owed

April 14, 2025

Congress Wants Medical Debt on Credit Reports To Keep Hurting Americans

March 12, 2025

To Defend Rule Removing Medical Debt from Credit Reports of 15M People, Consumers and Groups File Motion to Intervene in Second Case 

February 25, 2025

Consumers and Groups File for Right to Defend Rule Removing Medical Debt from the Credit Reports of 15M People

February 13, 2025

New Resource Empowers Consumers Battling Mounting Debt 

January 27, 2025

Digital Library: FDCPA: 2024 in Review

January 9, 2025

CFPB Rule Removes Medical Debts from Credit Reports

January 7, 2025

Weak State Exemption Laws Allow Debt Collectors to Push Families Into Poverty

December 18, 2024

CFPB To Create Rule To Aid Victims of Coerced Debt, Financial Exploitation of DV Survivors and Older Americans

December 9, 2024

Amicus Briefs

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Amicus Brief: Ochoa v. Ford Motor Company

May 6, 2024

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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