Government News

Supervisory Highlights: Servicing and Collection of Consumer Debt, Issue 34 (Summer 2024)

This is the 34th edition of Supervisory Highlights. The findings in this report cover violations of law and consumer harm in the areas of auto and student loan servicing and debt collection, including credit card debt collections. This edition also…

What to expect from the housing market in the second half of 2024, according to real estate experts

Experts are torn about where exactly the housing market is headed in the latter half of the year. “Mostly, we think the housing market is going to improve over the next half of the year,” Glenn Kelman, chief executive of Redfin, a real estate…

A brief drop in mortgage rates caused a huge surge in demand, but it may be short-lived

Mortgage rates dropped for much of last week, causing total mortgage application volume to surge nearly 16% compared with the previous week, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association’s seasonally adjusted index. But rates jumped back up again after a stronger-than-expected…

Household Debt Rose by $184 Billion in Q1 2024; Delinquency Transition Rates Increased Across All Debt Types

NEW YORK — The Federal Reserve Bank of New York’s Center for Microeconomic Data today issued its Quarterly Report on Household Debt and Credit. The report shows total household debt increased by $184 billion (1.1%) in the first quarter of 2024,…

Soaring debt and deficits causing worry about threats to the economy and markets

Government debt that has swelled nearly 50% since the early days of the Covid pandemic is generating elevated levels of worry both on Wall Street and in Washington. The federal IOU is now at $34.5 trillion, or about $11 trillion…

America’s debt problem is storing up trouble for the rest of the world

LondonCNN —  The high and rising level of US government debt risks driving up borrowing costs around the world and undermining global financial stability, the International Monetary Fund has warned. The IMF said Wednesday that increased government spending, growing public debt and elevated interest rates…

Collection agencies can buy debt from creditors, can sue for money | Fact check

The claim: It is illegal for collection agencies to buy debt and ‘come after you’ if you send a cease-and-desist letter A March 27 Facebook post (direct link, archive link) offers advice for consumers facing debt collection. “It is illegal for…

How Consumer Credit Trends Impact Debt Collection in 2024

Today’s current economic climate is already influencing consumer spending and credit in 2024, and is becoming a hot topic for businesses seeking to engage past-due customers. Economic Growth in 2023, But Slowdown Expected in 2024 Last year proved that the…

Mortgage Rates in U.S. Tick Down in Mid-March

Based on Freddie Mac’s latest Primary Mortgage Market Survey, the U.S. 30-year fixed-rate mortgage (FRM) averaged 6.74 percent as of March 14, 2024. “The 30-year fixed-rate mortgage decreased again this week, with declines totaling almost a quarter of a percent…

New York Fed sees trouble in auto borrowing as overall debt level rises

Feb 6 (Reuters) – Overall borrowing levels in the U.S. rose modestly during the final three months of last year as more types of borrowing ran into trouble, especially on the auto front, even as overall difficulties remained below levels…