Every rule, explained and enforced.

Debt collection is among the most regulated consumer-facing activities in the United States and the most complained-about to the CFPB. The Fair Debt Collection Practices Act of 1977 sets the federal baseline for third-party collectors; Regulation F, effective in 2021, modernized it with call frequency limits, a model validation notice, and rules for electronic communication. The Telephone Consumer Protection Act governs calls and texts to cell phones. The Fair Credit Reporting Act governs credit reporting. The CFPB's UDAAP authority extends to first-party creditors the FDCPA does not cover. The Servicemembers Civil Relief Act, bankruptcy law, HIPAA, and the GLBA Safeguards Rule each add requirements. And every state adds its own layer, from licensing and bonding to stricter contact limits, disclosures, and interest caps.

Traditional collections operations manage this through training, scripts, audits, and hope. The result is an industry where violations are routine, class actions are a business model for plaintiffs' firms, and a single compliance failure can cost more than a year of recoveries. HL Hunt takes a different approach: every rule that can be expressed as a check is encoded in the compliance engine and evaluated before every message, call, letter, and report. Violations become structurally impossible rather than merely discouraged, and every decision is logged.

The topics below explain each major rule in plain language, what it requires in practice, and how HL Hunt enforces it. They are written for compliance officers, operations leaders, and counsel who want to understand both the law and the controls. They are not legal advice; your own counsel should review your compliance program.