November 3, 2020 — Issue Brief

Before the pandemic, 68 million people in the United States had debt in collection. Economic fallout from job loss and reduced hours related to the coronavirus pandemic have hit families hard with millions struggling to pay their bills and communities of color hit hardest by these economic hardships. Millions of additional consumers are likely to face collection related to the recession in the months ahead. Now it is more important than ever for Congress and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) to act to protect vulnerable consumers from abusive collection practices.