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Stop Jumping When Collection Agents Call

By Tony Anderson
Dec 3, 2008
Our country faces its most serious economic crisis since the great depression. Working families, who saw their incomes decline by $2,000 in the economic "expansion" from 2000 to 2007, now face even deeper income losses. Retirement savings accounts have lost $2 trillion. Markets have fallen 40% in less than a year.

Millions of homeowners who played by the rules can't meet their mortgage payments and face foreclosure as the value of their homes have plummeted. With credit markets nearly frozen, businesses large and small cannot access the credit they need to meet payroll and create jobs.

And collection agents are having a field day.

There Is An Easy, Legal and Safe Way to Stop Collection Calls

To protect consumers, Congress has mandated some very clear rules regarding how and when collection agents can call you. These rules cover topics like:

* calling your employer to collect a debt. Is it legal? Can they do this, or can you make them stop?

* calling your home on weekends or late at night. When are they allowed to call you, and when are they required to leave you alone?

* calling friends and relatives to get information about your debts. Is this legal? Can they really call your mom and try to pry this information out of her?

Knowing the rules makes all the difference when you are dealing with aggressive collection agents.

Turn the Table on Debt Collectors

Many collection agents use aggressive, and even harassing, techniques to get you to pay on your debts. It's not that they don't know the rules mandated by Congress. Quite the opposite, in fact. They know the rules SO WELL that they actually use them to their advantage.

Fortunately, these laws exist to protect YOU, not the collection agencies. There are a few simple things you can do to turn the tables on the collection agents, and make them stop calling you.

For example, did you know that collection agencies are only legally allowed to call you between 8 am and 9 pm, unless you've given them permission to call you at other times? These are the hours that are "presumed to be convenient" for most people," according to the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act. If an agent calls you outside of those hours, you have a right to file a complaint and pursue legal action against them.

Knowing your rights is critical to protecting yourself from overly-aggressive collection tactics. Arm yourself with the facts, and get the law on your side. You'll be amazed how easy it can be to regain control of your phone, and your life! In fact, you must might enjoy it the next time a collection agent calls.
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