Collections news at your fingertips

As 2025 concluded, the "soft landing" narrative met a more complex reality: a divergence in consumer financial health that demands a recalibrated recovery infrastructure. While aggregate spending remains resilient, the composition of that spending is shifting toward a more cautious, "needs-based" posture.

I. Central District of California Dismisses TCPA Claim Because of Emergency Purpose Exception

II. Central District of California Grants Request to Appeal to Determine Whether Text Messages Are Covered Under TCPA

On January 13, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit issued a decision in Howard v. Republican National Committee (RNC) offering two important interpretations of the applicability of the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) to certain text message communications:

1. Text messages are “calls” under the TCPA.
2. A text message that merely includes a video file with a prerecorded voice — requiring the recipient to press play — does not constitute “initiating” a “call using an artificial or prerecorded voice.”

Join us for a timely and insightful conversation on the evolving landscape of anti-money laundering (AML) compliance in consumer financial services. In this episode of the Consumer Finance Monitor Podcast, Alan Kaplinsky, founder and senior counsel of Ballard Spahr’s Consumer Financial Services Group, hosts Terence Grugan, co-chair of Ballard Spahr’s AML team and a recognized authority in financial crimes compliance. Together, they deliver a comprehensive discussion on the latest regulatory developments, enforcement trends, and strategic implications for institutions across the industry.

The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) today released enforcement actions for January 2026.